A GROUP with far-right links that looks to infiltrate communities has been active in Worcestershire.

The Independent Nationalist Network (INN), which includes former members of the British Nationalist Party (BNP), has shared a video of its work tidying up the grounds and churchyard of St Augustine CofE Church, in Dodderhill.

The group has uploaded a video to Twitter showing the work to maintain the grounds, including cleaning up graves and cutting back overgrown greenery, which appeared to have been carried out last Saturday.

In one of its Twitter posts, the INN says: "We had a successful day of activism today - four activists met up in the West Midlands to try and rejuvenate these long-abandoned tombs."

The INN communicates to members on the Telegram messenger service and urges members to follow a three-step, 'Deep Community Politics (DCP)' plan through "initially making friends in your local area" by getting involved with existing community projects, but not discussing politics at an early stage.

"If you have successfully put yourself in a position of influence and have a large network of friends, then you will be in a position to push a more politicised message," the group says.

"If you then wish to represent your people via the electoral process you will be in the best possible position."

In a video introducing the group, member Richard Lumby says: "We are trying to gain the trust of the general public.

"It is about showing our people by example. By doing good work in our communities we become trusted members in our communities and therefore have a greater chance to influence people.

"We will work with any nationalists out there."

He also speaks openly in the video about his time in the BNP, working with its former leader.

"Nick Griffin has been giving us a lot of 'big ups' so I have to give the same respect in that, the idea came from him," he says.

"I was going to give a speech at the (BNP) conference in 2008 about DCP, which I was heavily involved within the BNP.

"I remember him (Nick) saying if he had his time again he wouldn't have bothered with politics for at least two years, he would have got all of his activists working in the communities.

"Most people live in an echo chamber. The INN is about getting out of the echo chamber, taking our message out directly to those people."

Another member Chris Mitchell added: "I'm in these (messenger) groups and there are a lot of these nationalists that want what's best - they want the demographics to be majority our people."

He adds that he would be open to working "in collaboration" with members of Patriotic Alternative - a far-right white nationalist group that has publicised antisemitic, Islamophobic, fascist and racist views.

Nigel Byard, team rector from St Augustine CofE Church told us he was not aware of the work and the group did not have permission from the church to carry out the work.

The INN group was contacted by a reporter but no one responded to our request for comment.

Worcestershire County Councillor Tony Miller, whose area covers Dodderhill, said: "Volunteer work in the community, but with an ulterior motive, it's subversive.

"It is clearly wrong. It is deception. I will be raising the matter with Dodderhill Parish Council."