SUPPORTERS of the controversial British National Party defied their critics and held a political rally in Leighton.

People turning up to the recruitment meeting, originally planned for the Royal British Legion in West Street, were redirected to a town centre pub less than a mile away.

More than 60 people attended to listen to Shelley Rose, one of the BNP's parliamentary hopefuls, talk about the furore.

This week Ms Rose claimed she told RBL club secretary, Eileen Johnson, that the booking was for the BNP and asked her on three occasions to confirm the date with the building's managers.

"I wasn't trying to hoodwink anyone," said Ms Rose, who intends to contest one of the Luton seats at the next general election.

"I didn't lie about our identity. I was upfront with them. I told Eileen Johnson it was the BNP and asked her to make sure it was all right with her members but she said it was fine.

"I rang up three times to double-check and to ask if she needed to clear it with a members or committees because I knew it would be a hot potato.

"The last thing I wanted for this to blow up. In the event we held the meeting elsewhere and there were no problems whatsoever."

Two days before the planned meeting South West Beds MP Andrew Selous called the RBL asking them to cancel the meeting after discovering the identity of booking.

Mrs Johnson told the LBO that the booking was made under the name "British Heritage" and not BNP.

She said: "I took the booking under a lady's name and British Heritage.
I knew it was a political meeting but not that it was the BNP."

The meeting, believed to have been held at The Falcon in Stanbridge Road, raised more than £650 for party funds.

The LBO once again contacted the Legion branch of the RBL who said they no longer wished to comment on the issue locally.

A national spokesman reiterated Mrs Johnson's stance from last week.