British National Party leader Nick Griffin has challenged the authorities to prosecute him over inflammatory statements about Islam secretly recorded for a BBC TV documentary shown last night.

In the programme Griffin described Islam as a "vicious, wicked faith" and claimed that he would face seven years in prison if he made the speech in public.

"If Mr Blunkett (the home secretary) wants to put me on a show trial about whether we’re entitled to warn about the dangers of Islam, I will be delighted," he later told Newsnight.

Speaking to the Guardian Andy Sykes, who also featured in the documentary as a "mole", reveals that he has received death threats from BNP members.

"I know better than most that there are some serious people involved in the BNP, but I am not going to be forced out of my home town by them - I was born and brought up here, why should I leave?" he said.