Buxton residents shocked to find racist far right leaflets delivered to homes

Residents on Davenham Avenue received the leaflets through their letterboxes

The leaflets from Patriotic Alternative, a white nationalist organisation with documented neo-Nazi connections, were delivered to homes along Davenham Avenue, on Tuesday, April 19.

Retiree Jane Reynolds, 65, said: “Almost everyone on the street seemed to receive one and, judging by reactions in our WhatsApp group, we were all disgusted.

“The only house that didn’t get one were our German neighbours, whose names are on their doorbell. I don’t know whether that’s significant.”

At least one resident confronted a person delivering the leaflets, others found it on the doormat when they returned home.

Jane said: “I threw it straight in the bin. I felt dirty just looking at it. I haven’t reported it to the police, I don’t know if a crime has been committed, it’s just very unpleasant.”

The leaflet makes claims about the ethnic demographic composition of the UK which echo the ‘great replacement theory’, a persistent theme of far-right narratives which positions people of colour as an existential threat to white populations.

It also contained unfounded accusations that migrants are responsible for common problems such as traffic congestion, NHS waiting times and high rents.

Jane has heard similar claims before while living in Germany, at a time when the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland arose when the country embraced refugees from the war in Syria.

She said: “It’s so ridiculous. Everyone’s got problems with the cost of living, parts of Buxton get quite congested, but its an almost entirely white area.

“Instead of looking for the real causes and who is responsible, they try to put it on a minority of people just because they look different. I find it disgusting. The people they are targeting are the least likely to be responsible. They’re not in positions of power.”

Right-wing extremism has been described by senior police and intelligence experts as the fastest growing terror threat in the UK, and a report published in 2021 by anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate found Patriotic Alternative to be the country’s most organised far-right group, detailing its links to banned terror organisations and describing how the group uses traditional campaign materials alongside seemingly innocuous community actions like litter-picks to spread their message.

“In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together.” – Louise Cooper, editor.