BNP chooses Derbyshire for annual conference

The British National Party (BNP) has confirmed it will hold its annual conference in South Derbyshire.

The party has declined to name an exact venue for the event between 10 and 12 December but said the county had been chosen because of its central location.

It also said leader Nick Griffin would give a speech on the first night.

For three years Denby in Derbyshire hosted the party's Red White and Blue Festival, which in 2009 cost about £500,000 to police.

The open-air festival provoked opposition from anti-fascist campaigners, with a nearly 1,500-strong demonstration held nearby.

The BNP said its annual conference would be a "first-class" event.