A SENIOR BNP councillor claims he has received death threats after the identities of thousands of party activists were illegally posted on the internet.

Councillor Michael Coleman who serves the Weston and Meir North ward of Stoke-on-Trent, said the threats came after about 12,000 names, addresses and even job titles of BNP members across the UK were leaked on Tuesday night.

The list, which was removed from the web within hours, is understood to have named police officers, teachers and members of the armed forces as members of the far-right party.

It included about 100 names from Stoke-on-Trent, including one ex-servicemen, an accountant and a web designer.

There were also almost 20 names from Newcastle, 10 from Crewe, nine from Stafford and Stone, four from the Staffordshire Moorlands, four from Nantwich and two from Congleton.

One man from the Berry Hill area of Stoke-on-Trent, who did not want to be named, was surprised to find he was listed as a party activist.

He said: "I didn't know anything about the list and I haven't been a member of the BNP for the last four years, so I don't know how my name got on there."

Mr Coleman said he had received several calls from worried members who feared for their jobs after the leak. And he said he had also been threatened by malicious callers who had found his telephone number on the list.

"I have had a couple of death threats, but I get those anyway and they don't really affect me," he said. "But I know that that sort of thing does affect some people and I am really outraged that someone has done this.

"I think as we get stronger and more successful, we are probably going to see more of this sort of thing, but it won't stop the movement.

"A few people have phoned me saying they work in sensitive positions and are very worried indeed.

"I have got serious concerns for them because I know that, with the jobs they are in, this could be very damaging for their careers."

But Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Labour group leader, councillor Joy Garner, questioned why BNP members should feel ashamed of their political views.

"I have no problem with people knowing I'm a Labour Party member, and it does make me wonder why some BNP members are ashamed of their party membership. It does worry me that some of these people may work in the public sector, because public services are supposed to be fair to all and the BNP has admitted it is a discriminatory organisation."

Rob Flello, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South and an anti-BNP campaigner, criticised the leak as a flagrant breach of privacy laws.

He said: "While I abhor the policies that the BNP stands for, this breach of the Data Protection Act is absolutely disgraceful and I would expect the BNP to take appropriate action under the legislation."

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said the force had thoroughly checked the list and found nothing to suggest that any of its staff were BNP members.

The police force is the only organisation where staff are banned from joining the party.