A FAR-RIGHT candidate who lost her libel case against two leading Liberal Democrats is to appeal the decision.

British National Party (BNP) supporter Tess Culnane sued Lewisham Lib Dem leader Mark Morris and his election agent Vijay Naidu, after she claimed they libelled her during a by-election campaign.

But on November 10 the High Court ruled in favour of the Lib Dem pair and ordered Mrs Culnane to pay more than £100,000 in costs.

Mrs Culnane has now issued a statement via her solicitor Osmond and Osmond, saying she is "disappointed" by the jury's decision.

She said: "We regard these findings by the jury as perverse and shall be appealing to the Court of Appeal for these to be overturned."

The allegations concern a leaflet issued by the Lib Dems during the run-up to the November 2002 by-election.

Mrs Culnane, who was running for the BNP, claimed the leaflet, which had the heading Don't Be Fooled by the BNP, defamed her.

A High Court jury agreed the leaflet was defamatory but ruled the comments had been fairly expressed and were in the public interest.