Far Right website targets local figures (From This Is Lancashire)

Far Right website targets local figures

1:21pm Saturday 24th June 2006 in

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A FAR right website with alleged links to Nazi groups is targeting public figures from Bolton.

The Redwatch site publishes the names and addresses of many left-wing minded people.

And among the hundreds of names on the website is that of Jason Travis, a leading campaigner for asylum seekers' rights who is at the forefront of the Bolton Evening News' backed fight to allow the Sukula family of Great Lever to stay in Bolton.

Dr Brian Iddon, Labour MP for Bolton South-east, Chris Davies, a Lim Dem Bolton MEP, and Barry Conway, secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) in Bolton are also named.

The details came to light when Redwatch came under fire in the House of Commons after union activist Alec McFadden who is named on the website narrowly avoided being blinded in a knife attack at his home.

The victim's Wallasey MP Angela Eagle urged ministers to take action against the site, which she claimed was linked to Nazi group Combat 18.

But the Home Office said it was difficult to close down websites like Redwatch since they were usually hosted abroad.

Mr Travis believes his name and picture were added to the website when he was campaigning against fascism in Oldham with the NUT five years ago.

He said today: "It's a website used by fascist groups and its intention is to intimidate people who are taking a stand against racism."

Mr Conway's names appears on the website due to his backing of the Unite Against Fascism statement issued by UNISON.

He believes many of these kinds of sites were linked with British and European far-right neo-Nazi groups.

He said: "If I was worried about it then I would not be able to do anything in life.

"People need to stand up and be counted. I am utterly opposed to any organisation that spouts racism. There are some real problems in society and I think they can only be tackled when people are united."

He added: "The answer is to take on these groups and expose them for what they are: a bunch of right wing thugs."

Two years ago, the Home Office promised action against Redwatch after a series of representations from MPs. It is now working with the Association of Chief Police Officers to try to tackle the sort of incitement on the Redwatch website.

The Sukala family are fighting against a government decision to refuse them asylum. They are battling to avoid being deported back to their homeland, the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.