FAR-RIGHT political campaigners are targeting Conservative councillors in South Cheshire in a bid to persuade them to defect to the BNP.

Activists working for the nationalist group have sent letters and right-wing literature to members of Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council.

They hope to encourage councillors who are dissatisfied with the mainstream party to leave and stand as candidates for the BNP.

South Cheshire BNP campaign manager Ralph Ellis said: 'We have sent out letters and our newspapers to Conservative councillors.

'There are a number of councillors who hold our views more than they do Conservative views.

'We've just sent basic literature saying 'this is us'.'

Mr Ellis said the party has employed the tactic after three Conservative councillors across the country defected to the BNP during the last three months.

He said: 'We've had three Conservative councillors come across to us, one in Stoke, one in York and one in the South, so it's becoming a regular thing.

'There's obviously a number of old guard Conservatives who have the same attitudes and policies as we do, if not more extreme in some cases.'

And he denied sending the letters was just a stunt to gain publicity for the BNP which came third in the Crewe South by-election with 385 votes.

He said: 'No, it's not a stunt; we think there's a good chance that Conservative councillors will come across to us.

'They have done in the past and I'm sure they will do in the future. 'I'm sure there are one or two sitting on the edge.

'These sort of people are hanging on because it's a big leap to move out from one organisation to another.

'But there are a number of people who must be thinking, 'I'm not in the same party as I used to be'.'

He added: 'If they thought they could get away with it and return their seat easily I'm sure a number would jump. That's what we're trying to persuade them to do.'

Conservative group leader Cllr Brian Silvester labelled the tactic as 'laughable' and said there was no chance any councillors would defect.

He said: 'There's no way any member of any group on the council will defect to the BNP.

'They are an extremist party with extremist policies and there are no extremist members on the council.

'If we do get any letters from them we will have a good laugh and put them in the bin.'

He added: 'There is no more chance of Conservatives being attracted to the BNP than Labour or the Liberal Democrats.

'Crewe and Nantwich is not an area that supports extremism.'