BNP 'faces £170k bill over Marmite ad'

The British National Party has reportedly been forced to pay out up to £170,000 after featuring a jar of Marmite in an online election broadcast.

According to the Sunday Mirror, the far-right party agreed to pay the yeast extract spread's manufacturer Unilever between £70,000 and £170,000 in a settlement.

The firm launched High Court proceedings for breach of copyright over the advert, which featured a play on the "Love it or hate it" Marmite motto with its own "Love Britain Vote BNP" slogan.

Party chairman Nick Griffin had claimed that the advert was a fair response to Marmite's commercials, which he believed had mocked the BNP with their depiction of a "Hate Party".

A spokesman for anti-racism group Searchlight said: "The Marmite fiasco has been a disaster from start to finish for Griffin."

Unilever confirmed that a settlement had been reached but did not disclose its terms.