MEMBERSHIP of the far-right British National Party in Burnley and Padiham has almost trebled in the last 18 months, party bosses claimed today.

Latest figures show the number of paid-up supporters of the party, which has six councillors on the borough council, has shot up from 100 at the start of 2005, to almost 300 today.

Party bosses said the numbers showed support for the BNP, which is fielding seven candidates in next month's local elections, was as strong as ever in the town.

The claims run counter to comments by one of the party's councillors, Whittlefield with Ightenhill's Barry Birks, in yesterday's Lancashire Evening Telegraph, that support for the group was waning in the town.

The party's manager in Burnley and Padiham, David Shapcott, said: "It isn't true that support for us is dropping in Burnley and Padiham, in fact it is stronger than ever.

"Membership has gone up by three times over the last 18 months, and there were 300 people at our last branch meeting, the most we have ever had."

But Burnley councillors from all parties have predicted the BNP will not make significant inroads at the elections.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Coun Gordon Birtwistle, said the mainstream parties were starting to win the political war against the BNP, and Conservative councillor Ida Carmichael said she felt some people had used the BNP in the last General Election as a "protest vote".

The BNP is standing in Brunshaw, Gannow, Gawthorpe, Hapton with Park, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Trinity, and Whittlefield with Ightenhill.