POLICE have slammed the British National Party for "painting a false picture" of Loughton in campaign flyers before the last local council election.

Epping Forest District commander Chief Inspector Jon Hill and Loughton Inspector Denise Morrisey told the Guardian that BNP claims that inner city youths were "invading the town in gangs mugging and attacking local people" were "just not true".

Mr Hill said: "Basically they've been driving up unjustifiably people's fear of crimes which don't exist. You couldn't recognise our area from the picture painted. And it doesn't make the job of police any easier."

Ms Morrisey added: "We've not got major crime in this area. It's not a gang land.

"It's not the Wild West and it upsets me to see it being portrayed as such. We want to quash these statements and reassure people."

Figures released by police show the number of robberies in the area, rather than having increased, as suggested by the BNP in its Debden Patriot newsletter, has fallen by 62.5 per cent in the last six months.

Ms Morrisey said: "We don't have black and Asian kids coming into the area running riot. It's just not happening.

"Crimes are committed by a mixture of people from a mixture of backgrounds. The victims are also a mixture.

"In fact a lot of the crime is carried out by local youths. Many residents would agree with me on that they know the people doing it.

"That's not to say we don't have people coming into the area. The Met-Essex barrier doesn't exist to them, but it's not a major problem."

Mr Hill said: "I must point out that when figures did show a spate of robberies last year that was accounted for primarily by children taking mobile phones off other children.

"That's not to say it's not a crime and we do take it seriously but it's not the image people have when you say robbery."

Police also condemned BNP suggestions that Epping Forest College was a hotbed of crime.

Ms Morrisey said: "It's not true. People at the college have been victims of crime like anyone else. There's no suggestion they're responsible.

"These claims have caused problems for us and problems for the college. People hear this stuff and they're not sure they want to send their kids there. It's unfair."

Police have asked the Crown Prosecution Service to investigate whether some statements made in the BNP leaflets may constitute incitement to racial hatred.

Redbridge Racial Equality Council spokesman David Landau, who first raised the issue with police, said: "Our concern is basically that the BNP has been stirring things up to get votes, and with some success. They're saying things that inflame attitudes and create divisions. They play on people's fears and insecurities and it's likely to lead to problems and mess up community relations."

l The BNP won three seats in Loughton at the May elections, giving it six seats on Epping Forest District Council.