DEFEATED candidates have reacted with anger and accused the electorate of not realising what they had voted for after the British National Party won its first ever seat on Redbridge Council.

Julian Leppert, a postman from Woodford Green, took 1,150 votes at last Thursday's election more than the two Conservative councillors also elected in Hainault.

But former Redbridge Mayor and defeated Hainault Conservative candidate Arthur Leggatt said he would be doing his best to work with the two Conservative councillors to isolate Cllr Leppert.

He said: "The British National Party played on the understandable concerns that the people of Hainault have relating to anti-social behaviour and the areas where there doesn't seem to be anything happening on the question of housing."

But he added: "I'm not sure that the people of Hainault realise what they were voting for."

The BNP doubled its number of councillors in England last Thursday and now holds 46 seats.

New leader of Red-bridge Council Cllr Alan Weinberg said Barking Labour MP Margaret Hodge's claims in the run- up to the elections that 80 per cent of white families in the area were tempted by the BNP had "done the BNP a great favour".

He hinted that Cllr Leppert would find it difficult to find his way on council committees, but would take his place on area three committee.

He said: "This was an extreme protest vote.

"At the end of the day we live in a democracy and he will receive the same treatment as every other member."

Speaking to the Guardian immediately after his victory, Cllr Leppert, who took 14 per cent of the Hainault vote, said: "I want to thank the British people in Hainault. There is now a corner of Redbridge that will remain forever England.

"We want to keep Hainault and get down all the for sale' signs. It is white flight.

"People are leaving. They see what is happening down the road in Ilford and they don't like it."

David Landau, from Redbridge Race Equality Council, called the result disastrous and said anti-racists in the area had a lot of work to do.

Royal Mail said Cllr Leppert's post office job at the South Woodford depot was secure as he was democratically elected.