ANTI-RACISTS in the West Yorkshire city of Bradford were taken aback by the success of an appeal for funds to help people on an impoverished inner-city estate which is vulnerable to recruitment by far-right activists.

In two days donations of thousands of pounds poured in to pay for food parcels and meals as the economic effects of Covid-19 struck hard on the Buttershaw estate.

Bradford is a city of more than 500,000 people, of whom around 26 per cent are of Asian origin.

It was targeted successfully by the British National Party (BNP) in the party's short-lived rise in the early 2000s, and in 2004 four fascist councillors were elected there, and others in neighbouring towns of Huddersfield, Halifax and across the county border in Burnley in Lancashire, where the election of nine BNP councillors made the party the second-largest group on the council.

Fascists exploited poverty, lack of opportunity and amenities in towns and cities across the north to spread their message of hatred and blame.

Tory austerity has increased the problems today, and the economic effects of the Covid-19 epidemic are bringing new opportunities for the far right.

The increased dangers in Bradford were identified by anti-fascists from Hope Not Hate, who have been active in the city for more than two decades.

Nick Lowles, national director of Hope Not Hate, said: “Buttershaw — an estate in the southern part of the city of Bradford — is an area of high economic and health deprivation that is so often overlooked by the authorities both locally and nationally.

“These are conditions that are exploited by the far-right, and that is exactly why Hope not Hate has worked in the area for a long time.”

Last year Hope Not Hate teamed up with the estate’s Sandale community centre to run a Holiday Hunger project in which campaigners handed out 678 packed lunches to children from families who were struggling financially.

This year’s effort was more ambitious. Volunteers delivered 5,000 letters on the estate offering help.

“The responses have been pouring back in asking for food, financial support and, in the case of many elderly people, company,” Lowles told supporters.

A financial appeal to anti-racists passed its £3,000 target and reached £4,527 in 48 hours.

Paul Mezsaros, Hope Not Hate organiser in Yorkshire, said: “I spoke to Andy — the community worker at the Sandale Centre — and he said: ‘I cannot thank Hope Not Hate enough for choosing us for their appeal and to all of you who donated.

‘In this difficult time your generosity means we are going to be able to continue and expand our help to vulnerable and struggling families on the estate.

‘It means more children being fed, it means more food parcels for families in need and it means more hot meals for our elderly, many of whom are isolated. It means everything.

‘Please pass on my thanks to everyone who chipped in! It really is letting us do amazing things here’.”