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THE man suspected of killing MP Jo Cox was a loner who subscribed to a white supremacist magazine, it has emerged today.

Thomas Mair, 52, was reported to have been born in Kilmarnock, although he has lived in Birstall, Yorkshire, for more than 30 years.

Mair subscribed to the 'South Africa Patriot' magazine until around 2006.

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The publication, which campaigns against "the fall of civilised rule" in South Africa, was edited by former National Front member Alan Harvey.

Mr Harvey now runs a blog called Springbok Cyber Newsletter.

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In 2006, he posted: "Thomas Mair, from Batley in Yorkshire, was one of the earliest subscribers and supporters of “S.A. Patriot”.

(Image: Facebook)

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"Recent correspondence sent to him has been returned to us, however, as he has evidently moved from his last know address in the Fieldhead Estate district of the town.

"If anyone knows of his new address then we would be very grateful to learn the details".

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Mr Harvey told our sister paper the Mirror he was trying to set up an S.A. Patriot group in the Yorkshire area at the time, and sent letters to everyone in the area they had contact details for.

He said his records confirmed that Mair had been an early subscriber to 'S.A. Patriot' magazine, but he said he had never met him in person.

A history of the magazine online reads: "S.A.Patriot magazine was founded in Durban in 1980 by the White Rhino Club, and continued publication in South Africa under the editorship of A.D.Harvey until 1987.

"Following the fall of civilized rule in South Africa it was re-established as S.A.Patriot-in-Exile in the UK under the same editorial team in 1991."

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"Since its foundations, and in both forms, the magazine has been consistent in its editorial stance, namely:

"To Support: THE FREE-MARKET CAPITALIST SYSTEM - IMPERIAL SOLIDARITY - PATRIOTISM - SEPARATE DEVELOPMENT - CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - GLOBAL WESTERN LEADERSHIP

"To Reject: COMMUNISM - FASCISM - LIBERAL POLITICAL CORRECTNESS - MULTI-CULTURAL SOCIETIES - EXPANSIONIST ISLAM - THIRD WORLD TYRANTS"

Mr Harvey said he had heard nothing back from his notice asking about Mair, and the group in Yorkshire never materialised.

He insisted S.A. Patriot is not a political magazine and said Mair was "never an official supporter".

"He's never been a member of ours," Mr Harvey told the Mirror.

"I know nothing about him. I've never met him in person."

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In his Facebook profile picture, Mr Harvey, from Gillingham in Kent, poses with the former flag of South Africa when the country was part of the British empire.

He is also President and founding member of the Springbok Club, which describe itself as an organisation which "advocates and works towards the re-establishment of civilised rule in Southern Africa."

(Image: SWNS)

But Mr Harvey told the Mirror: "There's very little political dimension to the Springbok Club.

"It's mostly expats enjoying pub evenings, things like that."

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Watch: Canadian politician and friend of Jo Cox breaks down in Parliament.

Neighbours said Mair had lived in Birstall for more than 30 years - on his own for the last two decades since the deaths of his mother and grandmother.

In 2010 a Thomas Mair, then aged 46, was quoted in his local paper talking about his mental health issues.

He volunteered at the Oakwell Hall country park in Birstall in 2010 after being a patient of the Mirfield-based Pathways Day Centre for adults with mental illness, according to a Huddersfield Examiner report at the time.

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He told the paper: "I can honestly say it has done me more good than all the psychotherapy and medication in the world.

"Many people who suffer from mental illness are socially isolated and disconnected from society, feelings of worthlessness are also common, mainly caused by long-term unemployment."

Pathways is described on the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust website as a "team that offers support to people experiencing mental health difficulties".

(Image: PA)

Neighbours said they did not think he had a job or drove a car, and described how he would do gardening chores for local people.

David Pickles said: "He's lived there longer than me and I've lived here since 1975. I still can't believe it. He's the last guy I would have thought of.

"He's just quiet. He kept himself to himself. He lived by himself. He's been on his own for about 20 years.

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"I've never seen a lot of people visiting or anything like that, but he likes gardening. He did a lot of people's gardens round here. But he did it quietly."

Mr Pickles said he did not know of any connection between his neighbour and Ms Cox.

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Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "We've known him quite a lot of years. I've known him since I was young.

"He lived with his grandmother in that house, she died a few years ago. He was a bit of a loner. It's a bit of a shock - he did everyone's gardens.

"I can't say a wrong word about him, he was so quiet. It's come as a shock to everybody."

Leah Ainley, who lives in Risedale Avenue where Mr Mair was arrested, said armed police surrounded him and pinned him to the ground.

"I just saw them take him down and catch him," she added.

(Image: SWNS)

"The police were armed," she continued. "There were more than 10 of them at the end. I just looked out the window and saw them.

"The man was white and bald. He banged his head on the floor. He just lay on the floor while they were holding him down.

"He had a bag with him but that's all I saw, I didn't see if he was armed."