British National Party leader Nick Griffin tried to "stir up racial hatred" when he told a meeting in Keighley that white society had turned into a multi-racial hell-hole as Asian Muslims aimed to conquer the country, a court heard.

Griffin, 45, and fellow party activist Mark Collett, 24, face a series of charges arising out of speeches featured in an undercover BBC documentary on the party.

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday that both men addressed a crowd at the Reservoir Tavern, in Keighley, on January 19, 2004.

Rodney Jameson QC, prosecuting, told the jury that Griffin concentrated on allegations of paedophile drug rapes by Asian Muslims in Keighley during his speech.

Reading excerpts from the speeches, Mr Jameson said Griffin said white society had turned into a multiracial hell-hole and urged the crowd to vote BNP in order to ensure "the British people really realise the evil of what these people have done to our country."

Referring to a recent attack, Mr Jameson said Griffin said: "They that are in that gang, they are in prison so the public think it's all over. Well it's not. Because there's more of them."

Mr Jameson said Griffin's speech turned to allegations of violence by Asian Muslims against whites.

He said Griffin said: "These 18, 19, and 25-year-old Asian Muslims are seducing and raping white girls in this town right now."

Griffin denies two counts of using words or behaviour intending to stir up racial hatred and two of using words or behaviour likely to stir up racial hatred.

Collett denies four counts of the first offence and four of the alternative.

The court heard Collett addressed the gathering on the same evening, saying: "Let's show these ethnics the door in 2004."

Mr Jameson read excerpts from the speech in which Collett said people in Bradford and Keighley were living in hell because of rapes and muggings which were always carried out by Asian people on white people.

During the speech, Collett said: "When these Asians go out looking for a victim they don't go looking for Asian victims. They go straight to the whites. They are trying to destroy us and they are the racists."

Mr Jameson said the men used the technique of building fear and resentment of Asian people by referring to rapes and muggings. He said they created a "nightmare vision", claiming Asians were entirely responsible for the crimes.

Earlier, opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Jameson said: "The prosecution allege that each of the six speeches set out in the 12 counts on the indictment included words which were threatening, abusive and insulting towards, in particular, people of Asian ethnicity.

"And that such words were used with the intention of stirring up racial hatred or, as a minimum, were likely to stir up racial hatred."

Mr Jameson said footage of the speeches, which were made in Morley, Pudsey and Keighley, was obtained by undercover reporter Jason Gwynne, who joined the BNP and spent six months attending meetings and other events for the BBC documentary The Secret Agent.

The court heard that on March 10 2004, Collett made a speech at the Royal public house in Pudsey, Leeds, where he talked about his childhood in Leicester and how Asian Muslims were making up more and more of the population.

Referring to the Bradford riots, he said: "Just imagine what's going to happen when these people Asians are a majority, when we can no longer hold them back."

Mr Jameson said Collett had also turned his attention to asylum seekers.

Collett said: "I honestly don't hate asylum seekers. These people are cockroaches. They can't help what they do. They do it because they are what they are and they do what they do."

The Crown's case was not aiming to restrict freedom of expression, Mr Jameson said. "We agree that freedom of expression is an important right but it cannot be unfettered."

The trial continues.