GAZETTE & HERALD: GROWING support for the British National Party will be put to the test in Wiltshire today when one of its candidates tries to win a seat on Calne Town Council.

A by-election is being held in Abberd Ward after Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Tong resigned earlier this year, following a decision to move away from Wiltshire.

Mr Tong won the seat from Conservative Margaret Russell in May 2003, after a landslide election in favour of the Liberals.

The council decided to call a by-election rather than co-opt a councillor and four candidates came forward, three from each of the main political parties and Robert Baggs from the British National Party.

In the May elections last year, Mr Baggs won more votes than the official Labour candidate.

The BNP has been trying to make its mark on Wiltshire over the last few months and has been campaigning in both Calne and Malmesbury.

It said it was intensifying its efforts in Wiltshire to get support in the run- up to the European elections in June this year.

Its policies include the reintroduction of corporal and capital punishment and voluntary repatriation of ethnic minorities in Britain.

The party has faced a backlash of criticism from protesters in Malmesbury, and MP James Gray refused to share a platform with a BNP spokesman on a BBC Wiltshire Radio in February.

MP Michael Ancram, who was canvassing in Calne last weekend with Conservative candidate Helen Plenty, also hit out at the BNP.

He said: "I have nothing but contempt for the party. It is more concerned with stirring up dissent and causing problems than solving them."

Mr Baggs denied the party was run on a thug mentality.

He said: "If there was any hint of thuggery or violence in anybody we are not interested.

"We are trying to go through the democratic process to get support for what we stand for," he said.

Mr Baggs said if elected he would focus on law and order in Calne.

"We still don't see an adequate police presence on the streets. I would try to work with the police to get that resolved. I would also like to work towards trying to save some of the character of the town. I think there is far too much building.

"I grew up here through all the changes and I know all the problems Calne suffers."

But Mrs Plenty said electing a BNP candidate would not be in Calne's best interest.

She said: "But everybody has the right to say what they want to say even though I don't share their views entirely."

Former Green Party candidate Derek Quinn, who is campaigning for Labour candidate Steve Foxcroft in a bid to stop the BNP from being elected, holds a less tolerant view.

He said: "I despise everything they stand for. Who on earth would buy a house in a town if we had a BNP member on the town council?" he said.

Mr Foxcroft said: "Young people in the town needed to be provided with facilities, which would in turn tackle the crime problem. We need to make the town a better place to live. We can't just threaten them like one party has. We have to give them something to do."

Liberal Democrat candidate Simon Coy said he did not see Mr Baggs as a threat: "We live in a democratic society so they are entitled to stand but I completely disagree with the philosophy the party has."