IT was one of the biggest spectacle's ever seen - but as York's first black Archbishop was enthroned, in the background right wing extremists were targeting the city.

Today as Dr John Sentamu begins his first full day in the job, the Evening Press can reveal that the British National Party (BNP) has launched its campaign to win a place on City of York Council at the next election.

The BNP has told the Evening Press that it plans to stand in York in the local government elections in 18 months.

The news comes after the party renewed a leafleting campaign in the city, targeting homes in the Haxby Road area. Dozens of households received sickening leaflets blaming the July 7 terror attacks on the mainstream parties, and condemning multiculturalism.

The leaflet claims: "The old parties worked together to turn our once all-white country into an overcrowded multicultural slum."

The Church of England, which yesterday celebrated the enthronement of Ugandan-born Dr Sentamu as the new Archbishop of York, today made it clear it would not be welcoming the arrival of the BNP on the political scene.

Martin Sheppard, spokesman for the York Diocese, said: "The Church will never welcome any organisation which brands people or criticises them on the basis of their ethnic origin."

Dr Sentamu said today the BNP were entitled to stand, but he would urge voters to reject their arguments at the ballot box.

He said: "It is legitimate for them to put up candidates. I don't want to silence anybody. I want to beat them at the ballot box. We need to reject their arguments through the ballot box."

He said that in this country anybody was entitled to express an opinion provided it was not illegal, adding: "Thank God for that."

Local BNP activists say the party's increasing popularity shows it is a serious political alternative. But residents who received the leaflets, and

politicians from York's main parties, today united in their opposition to the extremists.

Council leader Steve Galloway said: "They have nothing to offer York, other than division and their own particular brand of bigotry."

Clifton councillor Ken King said: "People in York are fair and reasonable, and that's a million miles from what the BNP stands for."

Green Party councillor Andy D'Agorne said: "York has done a lot to try to promote racial tolerance, and we do not need that kind of politics in the city."

Vyner Street resident Andy Clarke said: "You cannot stop them leafleting, but they make a complete farce of valid issues."

Fellow resident, Mike Sowden said: "The problem is not them spreading the leaflet. The problem is what they stand for."

Ian Dawson, North Yorkshire development officer for the BNP, confirmed the party would stand in the May 2007 local elections.

He said: "We do not know what our potential will be, but there certainly will be candidates."

One recent BNP leaflet distributed in York claims parking fines are illegal and urges motorists not to pay. It claims the Road Traffic Act 1991 contravenes the Bill of Rights 1689, which says nobody may be fined without being convicted in court.

Mr Dawson said: "We want to get the message across that we are not just a one-policy party."

Following the BNP's leaflet-drop, Unite Against Fascism responded by posting their own material to homes in the city.

Updated: 16:36 Thursday, December 01, 2005