The British National Party could pose a major threat to Labour in the upcoming European elections, Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman has said.

The BNP "are a bigger threat than they have been before", she told the Independent newspaper in an interview.

She also outlined Labour's efforts to counter the BNP ahead of elections for the European Parliament in June.

Labour is "focused on the BNP in this election in a way it hasn't been previously," she added.

'Below the radar'

Labour is using the slogan "fairness not fear" in areas where there is heavy BNP activity, instead of its national banner "winning the fight for Britain's future".