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Football rivals unite against BNP
FIERCE football rivals Sunderland and Newcastle have joined forces to urge fans to keep the British National Party (BNP) out of the North-East in this week's local elections.
They are joined in the campaign by the Bishop of Durham, ex-Eastenders actor Ross Kemp,as well as GPs, members of clergy and grassroots sports leaders.
The far-right party has put up 13 candidates for election to South Tyneside Council at the May 1 elections.
Many are cite the anti-immigration policies as their reason for standing, and the party has been labelled 'racist' by a region-wide campaign, known as North-East Unites Against the BNP, which now includes the football clubs among its supporters.
A spokesperson from Newcastle United FC said: "We are very proud of the multi-cultural society in which we live and we have no time for those that discriminate on the basis of race or religion."
A spokesperson for Sunderland AFC said: "Sunderland AFC deplores any form of racism or anti-social behaviour and believes this has no place in our communities or society as a whole."
Ken Booth, North-East organiser for the BNP, denied his party was a racist organisation.
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Weather for South Shields
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
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