AN AGENCY worker employed by Lancashire Constabulary was dismissed for being a member of the British National Party, it has emerged.

The man was contracted to carry out administration duties in Eastern Division, covering Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.

His contract was ‘not renewed’ after it emerged he was a member of the far-right group when the membership list was leaked online last year.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Constabulary said: “As a result of a Professional Standards review of a recently published list of BNP members, a member of police staff was suspended from duty pending an internal investigation and subsequently did not have their contract renewed.

“Membership or promotion of the BNP by any member of the police service, whether police officer or police staff, is prohibited as it conflicts with our duty to promote equality.”

The worker has not been identified, but the disclosure was covered in an answer to a Freedom of Information request made to the force.

The agency worker was not a police officer and the Freedom of Information request also revealed that no Lancashire officers were affiliated to the far-right party.

The list was leaked on the web last November and showed there were 250 BNP members in East Lancashire.

Burnley had 81 members according to the list, the most in East Lancashire.

Nationally, there were 12,000 people on the list, including police officers, teachers and soldiers.

Rival political leaders said the relatively low membership numbers showed the party had failed to make inroads in the area.