A LEAFLETING campaign is to be launched in a bid to stop the BNP from winning a seat in a York by-election.

York Socialist Students, the Socialist Party and Anti-Fascist Action will deliver pamphlets to the electorate in Heworth Without, ahead of the by-election on September 6.

The leaflets, which the campaigning organisations say illustrate the "truth" about the BNP, are expected to be delivered to as many of the ward's electorate as possible.

Leigh Wilks, who is organising the campaign, said: "We are determined that the BNP should not get a foothold in York, which it has been targeting for recruitment in the last few years."

Mr Wilks said the campaigning groups carried out similar anti-BNP leafleting in York prior to the May elections, with the result that the far right party failed to get a councillor in the city.

"We would like to repeat the success of this previous action," he said.

However, Ian Dawson, secretary for the BNP in Yorkshire, said the party was hoping to get a councillor elected to the seat.

"It will be a tough one, because it's close between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, but we're expecting to get a good share of the vote," he said.

"We've had some very good feedback so far from the ward, where we've got quite a few members.

"We've got members in every single ward in York, and quite a high number in a lot of the wards.

"The very fact that people go out to campaign against us just shows how different we are - at least we give people a choice of something different and new, which is nothing to do with fascism."

The news comes after The Press reported earlier this month how the decision by the BNP to stand came after they fielded nine candidates in May, the first time they had stood in York.

Their by-election candidate, Michaela Knight, stood in Holgate about three months ago, finishing last out of 11.

The Heworth Without by-election was called following the death of Conservative councillor Bill Bennett.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the BNP will go head-to-head in the by-election.

Nominations have closed for the poll.