TOP politicians today condemned the extreme right-wing British National Party's latest attempt to gain a foothold in York.

The BNP has been leafleting in the Lawrence Street area, close to the Bull Lane mosque.

One of its campaigns is an attack on asylum seekers, which recycles a old leaflet used in past BNP campaigns. Home Office figures show there are only 30 asylum seekers currently living in York.

City of York Council leader Steve Galloway said: "The BNP has done this sporadically in the past. The kind of scare tactics they use are unlikely to convince York residents, not least because the major issues facing the local community are to do with the indigenous population.

"The BNP tries to stir up racial and other hatreds. York residents have seen through them in the past, I am confident they will do so again."

Labour group deputy leader Viv Kind said: "We are appalled to see the BNP is putting this offensive propaganda through people's doors. The party has nothing to offer the people of York except fear and hatred. They have tried to smarten up their image but underneath they are still the same racist party. We hope all the political parties and residents of York will unite to reject their message."

Coun Ruth Potter, whose home was one of those leafleted, said: "The leaflets are designed to stir up racial hatred. I am concerned they are working in York, I hope people put the leaflets straight in the bin."

The anti-asylum leaflet's claims include one that the Home Secretary has allowed 30,000 asylum seekers to stay in Britain due to investigation failures, and another that greenfield sites are being swallowed up to build homes for 150,000 extra "immigrants" each year.

A Home Office spokesman said: "I am not sure what they are talking about with those figures. Asylum applications came down by 34 per cent in the last quarter."

BNP spokesman Dr Phil Edwards said: "The Commission for Racial Equality has said it is not fighting the BNP of the 1970s, this is a new party. Perhaps the councillors are thinking about the old BNP.

"The people of York are just as cute as people elsewhere. They will not put up with seeing their country destroyed by multi-culturalism and multi-racialism."

Challenged on whether the leaflet was racist, Dr Edwards said: "Call it racist if you like. That is a word created deliberately to stop debate."

Asylum factfile:

A NUMBER of popular myths have sprung up around the asylum issue. Here are some facts:

Myth: "We take more asylum seekers than anyone else."

Fact: The UK ranks tenth in the European Union for the number of asylum seekers it takes, and less than two per cent of the world's refugees come here.

Myth: "They are all getting rich on benefits, they get more than us."

Fact: Adult asylum seekers are eligible to 30 per cent less subsistence benefit than UK nationals.

Myth: There are too many here in York already.

Fact: Home Office figures state there are only 30 asylum seekers in York.

Updated: 10:56 Wednesday, September 17, 2003