THE FAR RIGHT British National Party is targeting four of Southampton's wards, the Daily Echo can reveal.

One of the wards on the BNP hit list is Bitterne - currently held by Councillor Perry McMillan, who was deselected by Labour for voting against the city's ruling group during last month's budget setting meeting.

Initially, the BNP had hoped to contest up to 12 seats on the council. But BNP organiser, Lee Robinson, told the Daily Echo that a number of prospective candidates had withdrawn because they were scared they would be subjected to intimidation for their views during the campaign.

Another two candidates had withdrawn as they were not on the electoral role.

Other wards being targeted during May's local council elections Woolston, Redbridge and Coxford. The Redbridge ward is currently held by the city council's Cabinet member for finance, Councillor Peter Marsh-Jenks.

Veteran city councillor Paul Russell, whose resignation from the Labour party last week stunned members of the city's ruling Labour group, is also a ward councillor but his seat is not being contested for another three years.

Confirmation of the BNP's intentions to stand in the city elections follows a clash between Anti Nazi League activists and members of the BNP at a public meeting held in Southampton.

BNP activists claim they were spat at and threatened by Anti Nazi League supporters when they attended the meeting. But the Anti Nazi League denies that members of the group were threatened.

Cllr McMillan, who was also present at the meeting, said: "They were exposed as trying to infiltrate our meeting and we made sure they did leave. They were told exactly what we thought about them. We knew they would try to use these tactics. No one tried to threaten them."

Trouble flared when two members of the far right group - which holds controversial views about immigration - attended the meeting organised by Anti Nazi League supporters at Shirley's United Reformed Church.

The meeting was staged after it was revealed in the Daily Echo that the BNP intended to field candidates in the city's council elections.

Two British National Party activists attended the meeting but claim they were threatened by Anti Nazi League activists.

Southampton BNP organiser Lee Robinson confirmed that four of the city's wards would be contested by the group.

He added that the trouble broke out between the Anti Nazi League supporters and BNP activists after he was identified as a member of the BNP by Cllr McMillan.

Mr Robinson said: "It was meant to be an open public meeting. People became threatening. They followed us across the road and gave us loads of abuse."