A BRITISH National Party leader is beginning a three month prison sentence after falsifying nomination papers for last year's county council elections.

Stephen Smith, who got more than 4,000 votes when he stood for the party in the General Election, admitted falsifying signatures -- when the offences came to light, all six local candidates were withdrawn.

Smith, 41, of West View, Cliviger, was sentenced on each of the six charges, to run concurrent. He was also given a three month suspended sentence and warned his time in prison would be extended if he committed any further offences.

Anti-Nazi league supporters cheered as they left court.

Deputy organiser for the Burnley and Pendle branch of the BNP Simon Bennett, condemned the sentence as a political one, saying: "It has to be remembered today that Burnley and Pendle BNP is not on trial.

"But what we do recognise is the sentence is a political one and is obviously because of the political party he belongs to.

"This can be clearly seen when you compare his sentence to the 100-120 hours community service handed out to six Asians in Oldham for purporting to be someone else when voting during Oldham's local elections in June."

"The local party was too strong to allow this to undermine our growing support among Burnley's voting public to succeed."

He said they remained undeterred and would contest all 15 seats at the local council elections in May. "Anything else would be to betray and let down the thousands of people who are looking to ourselves to change the unfair and inept way in which Burnley is run," he said.

Smith was told by the magistrates they had taken into consideration his previous good character, his work for charity, his prompt plea of guilty and that he had fully co-operated with police inquiries.

Simon Orme, prosecuting, said the charges related to the falsification of 12 signatures on nominations for BNP candidates at the county council election.

In some cases the people named had no association with the BNP.

The offences came to light after Labour supporter Eileen Rawlinson, found that her name was on one of the forms. She has no connection and never has had any connection with the BNP.

Dylan Bradshaw, defending, said the fact Smith was acting for the BNP was completely irrelevant. They must put to the back of their minds that he was a member of that particular party.