The Brick Lane Bomb: A guide to the extremists who make up Britain's far-right

THE CLAIMS made by right-wing extremists last week that they were responsible for the Brixton bomb, and early reports last night that Combat 18 was claiming it had planted the Brick Lane device, have thrown the spotlight on the far right:

NATIONAL FRONT:

Split in 1982 and a splinter group, the British National Party, was formed. It tends to stick to political means to put across its opinions, including marches and demonstrations.

BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY:

Led by John Tyndall, who did not want to promote his party as openly Nazi after its split from the National Front. This angered hardcore members and led to forming of other groups such as Combat 18. The BNP tended towards more violent action but was still regarded as too soft by some. The BNP once had an elected representative, Derek Beackon, who was briefly a Tower Hamlets councillor in the early 1990s.

COMBAT 18:

Emerged from a self-defence organisation for the League of St. George, a white supremacist group. Later dubbed itself Combat 18 (from the alphabet position of Hitler's initials) and was led by Paul "Charlie" Sargent, who is serving life for killing a fellow member. The group raised money through drug-dealing and the selling of Nazi records. After Sargent was imprisoned Combat 18 split into two groups: the National Socialist Alliance and a more hardline Combat 18.

BLOOD AND HONOUR:

Not so much a political organisation as a "fan club" for devotees of a heavy metal music, sometimes described as white power punk. Promoted at various neo-nazi punk and skinhead events, and is now a profitable record label. Its magazine, also called Blood and Honour, is filled with Nazi imagery.

INTERNATIONAL THIRD POSITION:

Dedicated to the destruction of Israel and compulsory repatriation of ethnic minorities, but sees itself as pro-Mussolini rather than Nazi. Founded by ex-NF members and an Italian fascist. The ITP advocates a mix of environmentalism and fundamentalist views. It is believed to have links with terrorist groupings throughout Europe.