A FAR-RIGHT political group launched a recruitment drive in Blackpool this week.

The National Front, which advocates 'phased and humane repatriation' of all 'non-white' people in the UK, says it had brought around 10 activists in the resort in a bid to recruit local people who had expressed an interest in joining the group.

Steve Reynolds, the National Front's national recruitment officer, contacted the Citizen and said: "We have only a handful of members in the area, but we have had quite a few inquiries from people to become members, ringing up about the number of asylum seekers and the way Blackpool is going downhill."

They arrived in the town on Monday and will stay for the week. The National Front's nearest existing branch is in Manchester.

The party's platform also includes withdrawal from the European Union, the reintroduction of national service and the death penalty.

But mainstream political parties have called for local people to reject the party's approaches.

Blackpool South MP, Gordon Marsden, said: "They have the right to recruit as any political organisation does. I only trust they make people aware of the full range of their views, most of which the people of Blackpool will find abhorrent."

Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Blackpool South, Michael Winstanley, said: "I totally abhor the views that the National Front proclaim and I hope this is not a successful recruitment campaign."

Liberal Democrat Euro-MP, Chris Davies, added: "We are fortunate that such a large number of people in the UK reject the messages of far right groups such as the National Front and the British National Party.

"This is obvious from the way these groups are forced to constantly divide and change their numbers to cope with the growing factions in their party.

"On the whole people recognise that these parties preach nothing but hatred and vile, anti-democratic notions which do anything but serve the British people.

"If, as they claim, people on the Fylde coast have sought National Front members for further information there is nothing I, or anybody else, can do to prevent this.

"However I'm confident that anybody with any sense will see that, yes, this country has its problems but these will not be solved by earmarking other groups and minorities as scapegoats."

The National Front's emergence on the Fylde follows concerted attempts by the British National Party to establish itself in the area. The BNP launched leaflet drops locally in advance of the European elections earlier this year and has a Blackpool branch.