A British National Party activist told a Court he did not blame "all Asians" for race problems in Britain.

Mark Collett, 25, denies that a series of speeches he made in 2004 were intended to stir up racial hatred and told the jury at Leeds Crown Court yesterday he did not intend to stir up fear and, through fear, hatred of Asian groups.

Collett is on trial alongside BNP leader Nick Griffin, 45, in relation to speeches they both made in West Yorkshire which were recorded by an undercover BBC reporter.

Under cross-examination by Rodney Jameson QC, Collett denied he was referring to all Asian people when he said in a speech: "If you want these people out, vote BNP."

Collett said: "That would not be party policy. The full force of the speech would be about criminality that's disproportionately dealt with by the establishment."

He admitted his speeches raised the possibility of white people being slaughtered "by any or all ethnic minorities".

"But in no way do I blame the ethnics for that," he said.

He insisted he blamed the establishment, the Labour Party and the media for a series of race problems and said his only intention when he made the four speeches was to motivate his audience who, he said, were party members and supporters attending on an invitation-only basis.

Collett said he agreed that racism was a "bad thing".

"Anyone who intends to stir up racial hatred is doing a bad thing, yes," he said.

He admitted it was the BNP's policy to "repatriate" Asian criminals and to stop asylum seekers from entering the country.

He also agreed that only white people were allowed to become members of the BNP.

Collett said he could not say whether he would have made the same speeches if the audience had included Asians or asylum seekers because he said that situation would never arise.

Asked if he thought it would be fair to say that all Asians hated white people and wanted to destroy "us", Collett said: "Possibly slightly unfair."

Asked again by Mr Jameson if he thought that statement would only be "possibly slightly unfair", Collett said: "Possibly, yes."

Collett repeatedly denied that a series of references in his speeches to "these people" referred to "all Asians", insisting that he had different specific groups of people in mind each time - including Asian criminals, rapists and rioters.

He said he based everything he said on press cuttings, with the exception of one claim about a firing range being found under a mosque in Bradford, which he said was based on a tip-off from a police officer.

When asked the officer's name, Collett said he could not remember and insisted it would not have surprised him if it was true and had not been covered by the media.

"That would be another case of media inequality."

Collett, of Swithland Lane, Rothley, Leicestershire, denies four charges of using words or behaviour intended to stir up racial hatred and four alternative charges of using words or behaviour likely to stir up racial hatred.

Griffin, of Llanerfyl, Powys, Wales, denies two charges of the first offence and two of the latter.

The trial continues