Voters in the South-East were today warned that electing the BNP could
cost them thousands of pounds in depressed house prices.

Tory activists have decided to use property costs against the far-Right
party ahead of tomorrow's local elections.

In one leaflet, the Conservatives claim that voting BNP "could cost you
£17,000" because areas that have backed the party in large numbers have
seen their house prices hit hard.

Tories claim that once an area has the "taint" of the British National
Party, its reputation suffers.

A leaflet distributed in Broxbourne, Herts, warns of the financial penalty.

Broxbourne was the first place in the South-East outside London to elect
a BNP councillor when Ramon Johns won in the traditionally Tory seat in
Rosedale ward in 2003.

The leaflet claims that Barking, which elected 12 BNP councillors last
year, saw homes rise by 1.2 per cent compared with the London average of
9.1 per cent.

It says the difference meant Barking homeowners lost out on an average
£17,000 over the past year.

In 2005, the year before the BNP got elected, Barking homes increased
with the London average.

The leaflet says: "Ask yourself. 'Can I afford to keep the BNP in
Rosedale?'"

The Tories, Labour and the Liberal Democrats are determined to defeat
the far-Right in the elections and in some areas have unofficially
agreed pacts to ensure the strongest contenders can fight off the BNP.

The BNP won Rosedale ward after claiming that the council was flooding
the area with asylum seekers and putting up council tax as a result. In
reality, the council did not house a single asylum seeker.

It's true.

It's true.

It's true.

It's true.

It's true.