Racist given US asylum advice

Racist Stephen Whittle, 41, of Avenham Lane, was detained by American immigration officers in Los Angeles airport on Tuesday.

Humberside Police, which led the probe, today said it was liaising with the US embassy to confirm where Whittle is and what will now happen to him.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also become involved, according to a spokesman, who confirmed a British man was being given consular assistance in Los Angeles.

Whittle, who wrote anti-Jewish literature on a website under the pen name Luke O'Farrell, had been given bail by a judge at Leeds Crown Court on Friday despite having been found guilty of a series of race-related offences.

He was due to return to court on Monday while a jury continued deliberating over further charges, but he failed to appear.

It is believed Whittle travelled from the UK to Ireland by ferry before taking a flight to Los Angeles.

He is likely to have his case considered at an immigration hearing in the US before UK authorities can secure his return.

He was convicted of five counts of publishing racially inflammatory written material.

Four of the verdicts were reached unanimously on Friday, and the fifth was returned by a majority of 10 to one on Monday after Whittle had absconded.

Co-defendant Simon Sheppard, 51, of Brook Street, Selby, North Yorkshire, was also found guilty after a seven-week trial of 11 counts of publishing racially inflammatory written material.

The jury gave unanimous verdicts on nine of the charges on Friday, and returned with two majority verdicts on Monday while Sheppard was absent.

The jury was unable to reach verdicts on seven further race-related charges which Sheppard faced.

The case is due to be considered further at a hearing at Leeds Crown Court on July 28.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said they will tell the court on that date whether they will seek a retrial or not.

Adil Khan, head of diversity at Humberside Police, said: "These men were arrested in April 2006 by Humberside Police with the assistance of North Yorkshire Police and Lancashire Police and were charged with offences dating between 2004 and 2006."