London - The extent of support in Britain for the far-right British National Party (BNP) was revealed Wednesday with the publication of the personal details of more than 12,000 members and supporters on an internet site. The list, published on the website Wikileak, gave the names, addresses, and in some cases the professions, of members who include serving and former soldiers, police officers, teachers and doctors, reports said Wednesday.
The anti-immigration BNP, which has made considerable electoral gains in recent years, confirmed that the list, dating from 2007, was "essentially genuine."
BNP leader Nick Griffin said the party would call on the police to investigate the leak which was in breach of human rights legislation and data protection laws.
Griffin described the publication as "a disgraceful act of treachery" by former BNP staff members who had subsequently been sacked.
The claim that a serving police officer was listed among members was likely to be investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission as BNP membership of police officers is prohibited.
The Times said the list included 16 serving and more than 50 former soldiers, a "score of ex-police officers", doctors, teachers, journalists, a vicar and company directors.
The racist BNP, which campaigns on an anti-immigration ticket, has in recent years sought to shake off its skinhead image in an effort to persuade voters it has moved away from its extremist roots.
The far right party was formed in 1982 by John Tyndall, a co-founder of the notorious National Front of the 1960s, who spent time in jail for inciting racial hatred.
In 2006, Griffin was cleared of race hate charges relating to speeches he made describing Islam as a "wicked, vicious faith."
In the 2005 general election, the party increased its total number of votes to 192,850, from 47,219 in 2001.
Its best result was in Barking, east London, where it took almost 17 per cent of the vote.
In council elections the following year, the BNP doubled its number of councillors in England, and in May this year, it won its first seat to the London Assembly (city parliament) when their candidate gained a 5.3-per cent share of the vote.
The BNP hopes to win its first seat in the European parliament in European elections next year.
