Hacked emails from a far-right group appear to reveal links with the BNP, after the group of American "hactivists" Anonymous targeted a number of US extremists' websites.

The group infiltrated the site of American Third Position, a white nationalist political group, in a campaign ironically dubbed "Operation Blitzkrieg", publishing emails in which it praised the BNP leader, Nick Griffin.

In one January 2010 email from "WhiteNewsNow" with the subject "Your Beautiful Pontoon Bridge", Griffin is described as "probably the most effective white activist in the world today".

A member of the group writes: "I've got my tickets for Jared Taylor's 2010 American Renaissance. Your fellow WhiteNewsNow members [...] are meeting up with some more of us and probably the most effective White activist in the world today, Nick Griffin."

In another from December 2009, the sender refers to Griffin in an email about the Copenhagen climate conference. It states: "Today will definitely be a Pearl Harbor for the Global Warming criminals who are at this moment cringing in the 4,200-seat arena in Copenhagen where Nick Griffin is clobbering them with the truth about Climategate. Good things are happening … and this is our chance to seize the opportunity."

The links between the two groups appear to be current. Former BNP leadership contender Andrew Brons is mentioned in an email titled "minutes for leadership phone conference January 7, 2012".

It states: "Next Meeting: Andrew Brons, Member of European Parliament and no. 2 in BNP, will be joining our phone conference. He has expressed enthusiasm about Merlin's [Merlin Miller, the party's nominee for the 2012 presidential election] presidential campaign. We must be prepared ahead of time by subject matter, questions and inquiring director."

A spokesman for the BNP could not confirm or deny whether the party had links or was in contact with American Third Position. "We don't know if [Andrew Brons] had contact with them over the phone. If he did we don't see what the issue is, he's a popular MEP. If he spoke to them he's been elected to speak to people and share ideas, we speak to everyone including Muslim groups."

Commenting on American Third Position presidential nominee Merlin Miller, he added: "With regards to America, we would welcome any deviation from the farce of two-party politics."

Anonymous – a collective of hackers without any centralised authority – published thousands of personal emails, forum messages and personal details of members under the banner "Good Night, White Pride".

In a statement, the hackers denounced American Third Position as "racist losers" who "try hard to maintain a professional public image to camouflage their vile racism [...] we're now airing all their dirty laundry all over the internet."

It continued: "We call upon not only other anti-fascists but all those opposed to white supremacy to utilise this information and make hell for these white nationalist scumbags. It is essential if we wish to live in a world free from oppression to expose and confront racists at their jobs, their schools, at their homes and in the streets."