CHURCH leaders across West Yorkshire today united to condemn the British National Party.

West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council brought together church leaders from around the region to criticise “the fear, hatred and racism of the BNP”.

And they called on voters planning to vote in the European Elections to vote for other parties.

The Council represents more than 10 different faiths, including the Anglican Church, the Catholics, the Methodist Church and the Salvation Army. They met today at the Moravian church in Pudsey – the site of a haven for children and families fleeing the Nazis in World War 2.

A spokesman said: “As leaders of different churches in West Yorkshire, meeting at Fulneck, we affirm the values of unity, tolerance, hospitality and mutual respect, which have always helped people from different backgrounds to live together.

“We are deeply concerned at the views and activities of British National Party which is using people’s fears to stir up racial and religious hate.

“We assert that all human beings are created equally in the image of God, that racism is a sin, and that such extremist groups do not speak for Christians.

“In particular, we are called to love our neighbours as ourselves; and so we abhor any rejection of our neighbours of other faiths as an affront to all our beliefs and a danger to the unity of the whole community.”

The European elections take place on June 4 with a regional voting system in place.