A top Lincoln Tory has branded the words of BNP leader Nick

Griffin as "despicable" after he commented on a fire at a

church in the city which was about to converted into a

mosque.

The leader of the far-right party sent a statement to the

Echo in the wake of a blaze at St Matthew's Church.

Griffin, who lives in Wales, pointed the finger of blame at

four groups and also included racist remarks.

He said: "Perhaps a local householder was driven mad by the

thought of being engulfed by a miniature version of

Lahore."

He also added that "druggie vermin that infest the dark

corners of once proud Lincoln" or bored children may have

torched the building.

Karl McCartney, prospective Conservative Parliamentary

candidate for Lincoln, said: "His statement comes as no

surprise to me.

"He will use anything for his own ends. It's sad when

something as devastating as this is used for political capital

and what he has said is despicable."

Later in the comments Griffin suggests that someone may have

been "doing the new owners a favour of clearing the site".

Lincoln City Council has called the remarks "idle

speculation" and urged anyone with relevant information to

report it to Lincolnshire Police or Crimestoppers.

The authority's leader Councillor Darren Grice said: "I am

angry that someone who has no affinity with Lincoln can

question the sense of pride our residents feel about their

city."

For the full story on Nick Griffin's comments,

see Wednesday's Echo

Editor's note: As stated in yesterday's web story,

the comment facility has been disabled. This is due to the

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