A FORMER far-right election candidate has lost her appeal against the outcome of a libel case.

Ex-British National Party (BNP) member Tess Culnane fought an unsuccessful libel action against Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Morris in November last year.

Now the Court of Appeal has thrown out Mrs Culnane's attempt to get the verdict overturned, saying there is "no arguable basis" for doing so.

Mrs Culnane accused Cllr Morris and his election agent Vijay Naidu of libelling her in a campaign leaflet entitled Don't Be Fooled by the BNP.

The leaflet was published in the run-up to the November 2002 Downham by-election, which was won by Cllr Morris.

Mrs Culnane, who is no longer a member of the BNP, was ordered to pay more than £100,000 in costs after she lost her case at the High Court.