A jury at Leeds Crown Court has cleared BNP leader Nick Griffin of two racial hatred charges and BNP activist Mark Collett of four others

BBC News:

The jury was discharged after failing to reach verdicts on the remaining charges - four against Mr Collett and two against Mr Griffin.

Mr Griffin, 44, and Mr Collett, 24, had denied using words intended to stir up hatred in West Yorkshire in 2004.

Mr Griffin said the verdicts were a "tremendous victory for freedom".

Their six speeches were filmed by an undercover BBC journalist for a documentary on the BNP.

After the jury was discharged, prosecutor Rodney Jameson QC said: "In principal we intend to seek a retrial on outstanding counts."

But he told the court he had not had specific instructions to that effect.

A date will be set within the next few weeks when a decision on any retrial will be made.

Mr Griffin told supporters outside the court that the verdicts were a "fantastic day for the people of this country".

He said: "This evening, millions of people in Britain will be holding their heads a little higher and walking a little taller.

"The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will now have to go and decide whether they want to do it all over again.

"If the CPS feel they must continue to persecute us simply for telling the truth then we will see them in court."

Mr Griffin, of Llanerfyl, Powys, had denied two charges of using words or behaviour intended to stir up racial hatred and two alternative charges of using words or behaviour likely to stir up racial hatred.

Mr Collett, of Rothley, Leicestershire, denied eight similar charges.

The four charges he was acquitted of relate to speeches made at The Royal pub in Pudsey and another at the Falconer's Rest pub in Morley, in which he described asylum seekers as "a little bit like cockroaches".

In other speeches, Mr Griffin calls Islam a "wicked vicious faith" and Mr Collett says "let's show these ethnics the door in 2004".

But during the two-week trial, the defendants told the jury they were engaging in legitimate political dialogue about issues which concern ordinary working people.

BNP leader cleared of race hate charges