Former BNP councillor killed himself before appearing in court for attack on pub landlord

A disgraced ex-British National Party councillor has hanged himself - just days before he was due in court over a savage attack on a pub landlord.

Convicted football hooligan Luke Smith, 26, was arrested after punching the publican in the face when he was thrown out of his bar for being drunk.

But as he awaited sentence former gas fitter Smith killed himself just opposite the scene of the crime in Lancashire.

Police said the incident was not being treated as suspicious and the matter had been referred to the coroner for an inquest.

BNP activist Smith was encouraged to go into politics by his uncle Steven Smith, then a BNP organiser.

He was elected to Burnley Council in 2003 after racial tensions grew in the wake of riots in the town three years earlier.

But Smith was suspended three months later after Nick Griffin, leader of the far right party, began investigating claims he glassed a reveller during their annual Red and White and Blue Festival.  

He was subsequently banned from being a councillor for three years by the Standards Board for England and he and his uncle quit the party claiming there was a lack of leadership.

At the time Smith said: 'At the Red, White and Blue Festival, I was accosted by one of Nick Griffins minders. I retaliated and he came off second.

'The leadership of the BNP has long been looking for a reason to discredit the Burnley BNP.

'This is due to the fact that they played no part in our success and they are not big enough to admit it.

'We have achieved this success in spite of, not because of, the leadership.'

But in 2006 Smith was jailed for 17 months after being convicted of violent disorder in relation to incidents surrounding a World Cup qualifier in Manchester in October 2004.

He was also banned from football grounds for six years. He was barred for life from Burnley's Turf Moor ground for his involvement in over 20 violent episodes in five years.  

Earlier this month a court heard he was suffering mental health problems and there had been a 'marked deterioration' in his mental health.  

He was said to suffer from adjustment disorder, brief reactive depression and a mental and behavioural disorder due to misuse of substances.  

Smith was charged with common assault after the incident at the Princess Royal pub in Burnley.

He had been thrown out for being drunk but went back in a few minutes later.  

When the victim took hold of him, he took a swing and struck him, breaking his glasses.   

Smith had been bailed until August 5 for a pre-sentence report and the bench said they were thinking of a medium community penalty.

He broke his bail condition, which prohibited him from going within 100 metres of the Princess Royal, when was found at a spot opposite to the pub on Saturday.

An inquest into his death is expected to be opened by East Lancashire coroner Mr Richard Taylor on Thursday.

Councillor Sharon Wilkinson, leader of the BNP in Burnley, said: 'Our thoughts and feelings are with Luke's family at this sad time.'