THE British National Party has been condemned for distributing an "alarmist" leaflet to homes in Devizes.

The leaflet states "Don't let Devizes become a crime blackspot" and adds "Crime destroys communities, time for zero tolerance!" and has been produced as the start of a campaign to form a BNP branch in Devizes.

The leaflet was delivered to 1,000 homes in the town and comes a few weeks after an article in The Spectator magazine by Devizes-based journalist David Lovibond raised concerns that crime, in particular anti social and drug-related crime, had escalated in Devizes.

The BNP said the delivery of the leaflets was not connected with Mr Lovibond's article and instead was part of its campaigning for the European elections in June next year.

Mike, the Wiltshire organiser for the BNP, who refused to give his surname for fear he would be sacked from his day job, said the leaflets had highlighted crime as an issue in Devizes following concerns raised by the ten paid up members of the BNP in the town.

"It wasn't done to alarm people," he said. "It was to make people aware that there is a problem, and that the BNP is more than able to solve the problem.

"This leaflet is no criticism of the police who do an outstanding job. The problem is higher up.

"People in Devizes see the same old toe rags causing trouble. They want them to be punished properly and to be rehabilitated and to come out into a civilised society."

Labour town councillor Ray Taylor said everybody in a democracy had a right to put forward their views but he branded the BNP leaflet alarmist.

"They have totally exaggerated the crime position in Devizes. I think it is unjustified to focus on that to try to gain support for their extremist views," he said.

Inspector Pete Bowerbank, of Devizes police, said: "This leaflet is obviously an attempt by the BNP to promote themselves as a political party and gives the impression that Devizes is becoming a 'crime hotspot' but this is far from reality.

"Recent crime figures show that, after a peak in 2002, crime in the area in 2003 has reduced considerably with overall crime down by 22 per cent on last year."