THE British National Party is setting up a new national communications and publicity department at Salmon Springs Trading Estate between Stroud and Painswick, the SNJ has learned.

Writing in an email sent to supporters, which is also available on the BNP's website, party leader Nick Griffin said that several of the party's top officers met earlier this year to discuss a reorganisation of its press operation.

He writes: "The communications department will soon be based at our new operations centre in Stroud.

"From here, the national team will coordinate our media efforts all under one roof."

It is understood that the operations centre, which will encompass media and communications, the BNP website and publicity and design, will be based at Unit 13 on the trading estate.

According to the email, the department will be run by Paul Golding, a close ally of Mr Griffin.

It is thought that three rooms were rented in the unit in spring 2009, which were originally to be used as a training centre but remained empty.

According to Mr Griffin, the BNP receives a 'huge number' of inquiries from the media.

"In the past the party only operated through two mobile phone lines to handle media inquiries but the new communications department utilises a dedicated 'media inquiries ticketing system'," he writes.

"All media interest in the party is funnelled into this system and inquiries from leftwing, hostile or freelance media sources are filtered out."

Stroud's independent mayor Andy Read said he was puzzled as to why the BNP would want to be based in Stroud.

"Whenever the BNP has put up candidates locally, it has had no support whatsoever," he said.

"However, history shows that censorship only plays into the hands of such groups.

"The best approach is to bring the BNP and their policies out into the open.

"I know many Stroud people feel strongly about the BNP and will relish this opportunity to expose and challenge its policies."