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| BNP leader is coaching children despite lifetime teaching ban | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The leader of the BNP is working as a children’s sports coach despite having been banned for life from teaching. | |
| Adam Walker was given the ban three years ago by the former education secretary Michael Gove after he received a suspended jail sentence for verbally abusing three schoolboys, chasing them in his car and slashing the tyres on their bikes. | |
| The incident happened following a BNP march in 2011. Walker, who replaced Nick Griffin as the leader of the far-right party in July 2014, subsequently lost a legal challenge against Gove after claiming that the decision to impose a lifetime ban was “prejudiced” because of his BNP membership. | The incident happened following a BNP march in 2011. Walker, who replaced Nick Griffin as the leader of the far-right party in July 2014, subsequently lost a legal challenge against Gove after claiming that the decision to impose a lifetime ban was “prejudiced” because of his BNP membership. |
| It has now emerged that Walker, 48, continues to teach karate to about 30 children at Kyokushin Karate in Spennymoor, County Durham, where he is described as the “chief instructor”. | It has now emerged that Walker, 48, continues to teach karate to about 30 children at Kyokushin Karate in Spennymoor, County Durham, where he is described as the “chief instructor”. |
| The local Labour MP, Helen Goodman, who has been campaigning for the club to be shut down for four years, says she has written numerous letters and has met a government minister in an effort to force the authorities to take action against Walker. | The local Labour MP, Helen Goodman, who has been campaigning for the club to be shut down for four years, says she has written numerous letters and has met a government minister in an effort to force the authorities to take action against Walker. |
| According to Sport England, when an individual is self-employed and his work is not governed by a national body, as is the case with Walker, the responsibility lies with parents to ask to see the coach’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. | According to Sport England, when an individual is self-employed and his work is not governed by a national body, as is the case with Walker, the responsibility lies with parents to ask to see the coach’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. |
| “I have been trying to get the government to take action on this for four years but they have failed to do anything,” Goodman said. “They have created a loophole in the law which allows people with criminal convictions to continue teaching, and my concern is that there are other people running sports clubs who are similarly unsuitable.” | “I have been trying to get the government to take action on this for four years but they have failed to do anything,” Goodman said. “They have created a loophole in the law which allows people with criminal convictions to continue teaching, and my concern is that there are other people running sports clubs who are similarly unsuitable.” |
| Goodman believes that Walker, who posts anti-immigration videos on his Facebook page, may be using the club as a platform for his extreme views and to groom the children. | Goodman believes that Walker, who posts anti-immigration videos on his Facebook page, may be using the club as a platform for his extreme views and to groom the children. |
| The MP says she first wrote to the Department for Education about Walker in February 2013 and has followed up with letters to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the DBS and Sport England. “My worry, of course, is that these children are being exposed to extreme views and he is grooming them to become racists,” she added. | The MP says she first wrote to the Department for Education about Walker in February 2013 and has followed up with letters to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the DBS and Sport England. “My worry, of course, is that these children are being exposed to extreme views and he is grooming them to become racists,” she added. |
| Walker has denied using the club to recruit BNP members and points out that he is not doing anything illegal. | Walker has denied using the club to recruit BNP members and points out that he is not doing anything illegal. |
| “Does Helen Goodman not believe in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act? She has a personal hatred for me which supersedes anything,” he said. “She needs to wind her neck in and concentrate on the real problems in her constituency rather than trying to close down my club, which makes a real contribution to the local community.” | “Does Helen Goodman not believe in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act? She has a personal hatred for me which supersedes anything,” he said. “She needs to wind her neck in and concentrate on the real problems in her constituency rather than trying to close down my club, which makes a real contribution to the local community.” |
| Walker says that all the parents who send their children to his karate club, which has been running for 18 years, are aware of his criminal convictions and of his affiliation to the BNP. “If I was a member of the Labour party this would not be happening,” he added. “When I teach these children it has got nothing to do with the BNP. It is a totally different hat that I wear.” | Walker says that all the parents who send their children to his karate club, which has been running for 18 years, are aware of his criminal convictions and of his affiliation to the BNP. “If I was a member of the Labour party this would not be happening,” he added. “When I teach these children it has got nothing to do with the BNP. It is a totally different hat that I wear.” |
| When asked about the case, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport said the government was “completely committed to doing all it can to ensure people can participate in sport in safe and secure environments”. | When asked about the case, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport said the government was “completely committed to doing all it can to ensure people can participate in sport in safe and secure environments”. |
| A spokesman said that in November the sport minister, Tracey Crouch, had written to national sporting governing bodies to “look at their own safeguarding practices to make sure they are as robust as possible and that work is ongoing”. | A spokesman said that in November the sport minister, Tracey Crouch, had written to national sporting governing bodies to “look at their own safeguarding practices to make sure they are as robust as possible and that work is ongoing”. |
| Walker resigned from his teaching post at Houghton Kepier college in Sunderland in 2007 after it was revealed he had used a school laptop during lessons to post descriptions of immigrants as “savage animals” and “filth”. In 2010, he appeared before the General Teaching Council and was found guilty of misconduct for use of the laptop and given a restriction order, but he was cleared of the charge of racial intolerance. This restriction was increased to a lifetime ban by Gove in 2014. | Walker resigned from his teaching post at Houghton Kepier college in Sunderland in 2007 after it was revealed he had used a school laptop during lessons to post descriptions of immigrants as “savage animals” and “filth”. In 2010, he appeared before the General Teaching Council and was found guilty of misconduct for use of the laptop and given a restriction order, but he was cleared of the charge of racial intolerance. This restriction was increased to a lifetime ban by Gove in 2014. |
| At the time, Walker said he had never “discriminated against an individual on grounds of race, faith or sexuality”, and said part of the reason he became a teacher was to “help people overcome social disadvantage and reach their full potential”. | At the time, Walker said he had never “discriminated against an individual on grounds of race, faith or sexuality”, and said part of the reason he became a teacher was to “help people overcome social disadvantage and reach their full potential”. |
| Following the incident with the schoolboys in 2011, Walker was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months after he admitted dangerous driving, a public order offence and possessing a bladed instrument. | Following the incident with the schoolboys in 2011, Walker was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months after he admitted dangerous driving, a public order offence and possessing a bladed instrument. |
| In April 2010, he was investigated by the Metropolitan police for wearing armed forces fatigues whilst campaigning with the then BNP leader, Nick Griffin. | In April 2010, he was investigated by the Metropolitan police for wearing armed forces fatigues whilst campaigning with the then BNP leader, Nick Griffin. |