Police Officer on Bnp Membership List is Suspended

A serving police officer included in a list of British National Party members leaked on an internet blog has tonight been suspended from duty, police said.

Steve Bettley, of Merseyside Police, returned early from a holiday to help the force with an investigation into his alleged involvement with the far right party.

Police officers have been banned from being members of the BNP since 2004.

A force spokesman said: "Merseyside Police can confirm that the police officer subject to an ongoing internal investigation into his alleged association with the BNP has today been suspended from duty."

The spokesman added: "He returned from his holiday early to cooperate with the investigation.

"We would like to reiterate we will keep an open mind until the facts around the alleged investigation have been established."

The officer once worked for a temporary six-week period as personal driver for the force's chief constable, Bernard Hogan Howe.