CREWE'S veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody has joined church leaders in calling on voters to stop the far-right British National Party gaining a foothold in the town

Mrs Dunwoody wants residents to turn out at the polls and block the BNP in tomorrow's county council by-election in Crewe South.

She said yesterday: 'We must not allow laziness to open the door to the BNP in Crewe.

'These pernicious people peddling offensive policies are nothing but disastrous for the people of Crewe and Nantwich.'

She was backed by religious leaders at churches in the ward, which has around 11,000 voters.

It contains Crewe's only mosque in Walthall Street, home to much of Crewe's Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities.

The Rev David Hudson, from St Stephen's Methodist Church in Gainsborough Road, pleaded with voters to reject anyone championing racist policies.

He said: 'We urge everybody to vote for candidates who make it clear we believe in a community where people of all races and colours live happily together. '

Four other church leaders in the Crewe South ward have signed a letter calling on residents not to vote for the far-right party's candidate Michael Beardshaw.

He is fighting for the vacant seat on Cheshire County Council against Peter Hallett (Conservative), David Cannon (Liberal Democrat) and Steve Hogben (Labour).

Opponents fear voter apathy in the ward, which stretches from Gresty Road to Wistaston Road, could help Mr Beard-shaw to victory. BNP South Cheshire campaign manager Ralph Ellis reacted angrily to the comments and to an anti-fascist campaign calling on people not to vote for the party.

He branded it a smear campaign to denigrate the party and, labelled an anti-BNP leaflet drop `illegal'.

He said: 'This is a legitimate campaign. If this election doesn't go our way we will be seeking action in the courts to have it declared null and void.'