Fury at Llangollen Ku Klux Klan video

Aug 27 2008 By David Simister

COUNTY councillors in Llangollen have condemned online footage released this month showing a man dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member walking through the town’s streets.

The video, hosted on film-hosting website Youtube, shows over a minute of footage of a man dressed in the white costume of the racist organisation while heading along Hill Street in the centre of the town.

"Such a stunt has absolutely no place in a civilised society whatsoever. I am appalled that someone could don such a symbol of hatred and oppression within my constituency and I know full well the police are taking this matter very seriously." said Clwyd South MP Martyn Jones.

"The simple truth is Llangollen is the home of the international Eisteddfod and with that it is a place that symbolises international tolerance. This Youtube video has cast a dark shadow over that and I sincerely hope that such an idiotic and irresponsible act is never repeated again."

Although the footage is hosted by an anonymous user known only as b6alvesisback, it is thought to be linked to footage posted last year showing racist chants at a Wrexham FC game, as well as a third clip showing similar Ku Klux Klan tributes filmed over a year ago in Bradford.

The film shows an unknown male walking through Llangollen’s deserted streets late at night dressed in the white head-to-toe costume associated with Ku Klux Klan members and making Nazi salutes while being filmed by an unknown accomplice.

A close-up shot also shows the words "White Knight" written across the man’s chest, another reference to members of the white supremacist group.

Manu Patiar, Chairman of the North Wales Racial Equality Network (NWREN), also joined Mr Jones in condemning the footage.

"NWREN totally condemns the act of posting a racist video on the Youtube website. The sooner North Wales Police track down the perpetrator of this crime, the better it will reassure the public that this sort of act is not tolerated in a civilised society" she said.

Denbighshire Police Officers said that although it would be difficult to obtain any CCTV footage of the incident, they take a zero tolerance policy towards racial hatred and are appealing for members of the public with more information to come forward.

Vale readers who think they may know more about the footage are being asked to contact North Wales Police on 0845 607 1001 (Welsh) or 0845 607 1002 (English).