BNP leak: policeman suspended

A serving police officer whose name appeared on a leaked list of BNP members was last night suspended from duty by Merseyside police. PC Stephen Bettley, who worked as a driver for Merseyside's chief constable in 2006, came home early from a holiday abroad to help the investigation into his alleged membership.

Police officers and prison guards are formally banned from joining the far-right party, and yesterday the Association of Chief Police Officers said every police force was scouring the list to see if any of its officers were included.

It also emerged last night that the list includes former members of every mainstream political party in the UK - including the Greeens. Lionel Buck, who was previously chairman of Ashfield Conservative association in Nottinghamshire, said he joined the BNP because: "The way the country is at the moment, there is no major party, whether it be Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat, looking after the indigenous population."

The list was apparently leaked on the internet by a disgruntled BNP member close to the party leadership. Hundreds of party members have received threatening or abusive phone calls, and the party fears the the publicity could reduce its membership.