The British National Party (BNP) has been attempting to rein-in problematic members in the run-up to the European elections. It has been urging members not to set up official party blogs because "they can't write proper English" and "get carried away with conspiracy theories".

Those members who do have a blog are advised to ensure that it is in no way associated with the BNP. The party has banned the use of the BNP logo and name on members' blogs - in fact anything that might give the impression a blog might be associated with the party is off-limits.

The reason for going to such lengths is because by its own admission, the party believes there are many BNP members who are "oddballs", "Walter Mitty characters", "compulsive liars" and "born troublemakers".

The BNP document that addresses concerns about the-oddballs-within was leaked to an anti-racist group Searchlight.

BNP members with blogs are encouraged to make sure their sites appear to be completely independent of the BNP, or any other political party, so that their point-of-view will be "more convincing to the wider public than sites which are clearly ours."

They have also advised activists: "If you hear something odd or unpleasant about someone either forget about it or ask them about it to their face."