Speaking to BNP News, Mr Griffin said that he would normally not react to smear stories put out by the hostile press, but in this case the nature of the allegation was so severe and outrageously libellous that he felt compelled to personally intervene.
“The core of the smear is that a clearly deranged man who tried to shoot at a Jewish person with an air gun is a member of the BNP,” Mr Griffin said.
“I wish to place it very clearly on record that the person in question is not a member of the BNP, and any allegation to the contrary is an utter lie. We have carefully gone through our membership records, and have found absolutely no trace of this person.
“In addition, just going by his appearance and alleged comments, he would also not have been welcome in the BNP either,” Mr Griffin said.
BNP North East regional organiser Ken Booth confirmed to BNP News that Mr Cherry does not appear on the current or historical BNP membership roll for his region.
“It is my opinion that the prosecutor who made the initial allegation was either misinformed or was deliberately lying,” Mr Booth said. “We will find out which of the two very shortly as we have already contacted the police, who were quoted as the source for the original allegation of Mr Cherry’s political allegiance. They are extremely concerned about the story, and have undertaken to investigate the origin of the lies.
“We can assure the person or persons who are responsible for this lie that they will face the full might of legal action for this libellous allegation about the BNP, and the sparse attempt to connect the BNP to the actions of a deranged madman.”
Mr Booth pointed out that the Chronicle had already run the story on 15 April without mentioning the BNP. The latest story was merely a repeat of the April 15th article, but with the addition of the spurious “made up” reference to the BNP, he said.
Mr Griffin issued a warning to other media sources not to repeat the allegation as they too would in all likelihood face legal action from the party. “We are no longer going to stand by idly while the media prints whatever lies it wants to or tries to hide behind lies espoused by other people.
“Behaviour like that exhibited by Mr Cherry is condemned by any sane person, and the BNP has absolutely nothing to do with it or Mr Cherry,” Mr Griffin said.
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