AS a BNP member I wish to apologise to The Northern Echo for the BNP press officer's description of your newspaper as "disgusting", if that is what he said, in your report of a punch-up between former parliamentary candidate Andrew Spence and two party officials (Echo, Aug 8).

Compared to some newspapers, yours is relatively broad-minded and willing to entertain a range of opinions from far right to far left.

The punch-up at the BNP meeting was unacceptable, but it did no harm to anyone outside the BNP.

The latter is infinitely preferable to the tradition in Westminster, whereby slick Oxbridge educated politicians undermine our democratic process by offering places in Parliament to sleazy millionaires. The latter does real harm.

Ralph Musgrave, Durham.