British National party loses nine of 12 seats held in 2008, including key Burnley presence, with three results still to declare

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

The far-right British National party is facing political meltdown, having lost nine of the 12 seats it held in 2008 with the remaining three still to declare.

The party's sole representative in Burnley – once the party's stronghold – has been defeated and in other areas the BNP's vote is down by as much as half.

In London, the BNP is trying to hold on to its seat on the assembly, with the results due to be announced on Friday evening.

Nick Lowles from anti-racist campaign Hope not Hate said: "It is been a disastrous night for the BNP. They have lost councillors, failed to regain seats they won in 2008 and generally their vote is well down on previous elections.

In some of their strongest wards the BNP vote is down almost 50% from 2008, the last time these seats were contested."

Key BNP areas such as Epping Forest and Pendle are expected to declare on Friday afternoon, but Lowles said the most significant result was the party's defeat in Burnley.

"The BNP won its first councillor in Burnley in 2002 and the following year it became the second largest party on the council so this is a hugely important victory."

Since the peak of its electoral success in 2009, when it won two seats in the European parliament, the BNP has been mired in infighting and financial chaos.

This year, it stood substantially fewer candidates than in previous years with no one representing the party in several of its previous strongholds, in Yorkshire and the north-east.

Lowles said it had also been squeezed on one side by a resurgent Ukip and on the other by the the English Defence League, which is expected to announce on Saturday it will contest future elections as part of an alliance with the British Freedom party, a small rightwing group, at a rally in Luton.