Extremists including a neo-Nazi with a swastika tattoo on her breast have infiltrated the Brexit campaign
They are refusing to stop campaigning for Leave before the EU referendum saying it is central to their beliefs
EXTREMISTS with racist views have hijacked the campaign for Britain to leave the EU.
They include a former BNP official Mark Collett and his swastika-tattooed girlfriend Eva Van Housen who have been giving out official Vote Leave campaign leaflets.
Pictures of Ms Van Housen on her social media accounts include her posing in front of a Nazi flag.
As well as a swastika tattoo on her left breast she has one of another Nazi symbol on her right leg and her tattoos also include a quote from Adolf Hitler.
Pro-Brexit group Vote Leave has asked her and Mr Collett to stop campaigning after becoming aware of their far-right links but they have refused the request.
She said: “We are not ashamed of our beliefs – we are proud of them and completely stand by them.
“We will continue handing out leaflets and we have got a lot left.”
And writing on Twitter earlier today she said her campaigning for Vote Leave had nothing to do with her far-right views.
She posted: “I care enough to get my country out of the EU.
“My political beliefs are kept out of it.
“I will continue informing the public to vote out.
Mark Collett (second left) with his girlfriend Eva and others at a Vote Leave stall
Her boyfriend Mark Collett was the subject of a documentary on Channel 4 in 2002 entitled Young, Nazi and Proud, in which he said Aids was a ‘friendly disease’ because it mainly afflicted black people and gays.
In the documentary he said: “The Jews have been thrown out of every country, including England.
“Let’s face it, when it happens that many times it’s not just persecution: there’s no smoke without fire.”
Four years after the documentary was aired he appeared in court with former BNP leader Nick Griffin accused of inciting racial hatred.
Both men were cleared after a retrial. Both were also expelled from the party.
RELATED STORIES
Mr Collett told : “Leaving the EU has always been central to my political beliefs.
“It is absolutely natural that I should campaign to leave.
“I will continue with my Brexit campaign. It is something I have always been very passionate about.”
And in a Facebook post from yesterday he said: “We held another successful Vote Leave stall today in Castleford.
“This has been the biggest turnout yet and we got a fantastic response from the public who were overwhelmingly in favour of voting to leave.
“There's still over two weeks until the referendum, so if you want to help get in touch!”
Another of the far-right extremists campaigning for Brexit is Andrew Edge, an English Defence League leader, who was jailed after an EDL protest when bricks and bottles were thrown at police.
A Mail on Sunday investigation has revealed Mr Edge posed with a UKIP branded We Want Our Country Back banner by the graves of the East London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray.
He has also been photographed holding the same sign while standing with UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the Labour MP and Brexit campaigner Kate Hoey.
On his Facebook page he declares: “I hate muzzys [Muslims] and their 6th century cult.”
Back in 2014 after being sentenced to 21 months jail for violent disorder he chanted ‘EDL, EDL, EDL’ as he was led from the dock.
Mr Edge told The Sun he has lots of Muslim friends and is just against the extremist ones.
He said: "I'm a nationalist and I love my country. I feel we should be out of Europe.
"I have not got a racist bone in my body and my partner is Filipino.
"I'm all for migration and I love diversity but how many can we accept? There has to be a cut-off point.
"They're taking our jobs, it's just a joke."
There is no suggestion the Vote Leave and Leave.EU campaigns are in any way responsible for the extremists’ conduct.
A Vote Leave spokesman said: “Unfortunately there is little we can do about undesirable characters buying our merchandise and distributing it. We do not want to be associated in any way with such people.”
And when asked sked about extremists trying to hijack Nigel Farage’s Leave.eu, its founder, businessman Arron Banks, told the Mail on Sunday: “LOL [Laugh Out Loud]. Keep it going.”
The pro-Brexit extremists have been condemned by Tory and Labour supporters of the Remain campaign.
Labour MP Chuka Umunna said: “The hate-filled politics peddled by the likes of the BNP and EDL should have no place in this referendum campaign.
“When fascists and racists are openly and proudly displaying Vote Leave branding, it tarnishes not just their campaign but British politics as a whole.”
Conservative MP Alok Sharma said: “This investigation exposes the worrying extent to which far-Right sympathisers and activists have infiltrated the Leave campaigns.
“Vote Leave need to take decisive action to root out the far-Right supporters their campaign appears to be attracting.”
Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368