Former BNP man fined for publishing members' names

A former member of the British National Party was fined £200 today after he admitted releasing membership details online.

Matthew Single, 37, formerly of Brinsley, Nottinghamshire, admitted disclosing the names, addresses and occupations of some 12,000 members in a blog on the internet.

The charges were dropped against his wife, Sadie Graham-Single.

Graham-Single, 30, was not at Nottingham Magistrates' Court today.

District Judge John Stobart also ordered Single to pay £100 towards the cost of the prosecution.

The judge added: "Anything that is posted on the internet has the effect of opening a Pandora's box.

"What you put on the internet can never be taken from it and while there may be some members in this organisation who do not deserve to be protected by the law they should be able to expect that officers within the organisation will not abuse the information provided to them.

"The law exists to save people from such revenge attacks.

"It came as a surprise to me, as it will to many members of the party, that to do something as foolish and as criminally dangerous as you did will only incur a financial penalty.

"It comes as no surprise to me that somebody to do with an organisation that prides itself on Britishness is in fact living off the British people on Job Seeker's Allowance and that is why the fine is so low as to be ridiculous."