THE editor of a far-right website has been convicted of possessing racially inflammatory material including stickers that had been posted in and around Liverpool calling for the establishment of a white master race.

James Costello, 38, has been sentenced for five years for 19 offences of stirring up racial hatred.

In July 2021 several members of the public reported stickers found on a lampposts across Merseyside advertising a website called Creativitymovement.net.  

They were racially offensive and aimed to recruit people to join the violent destruction and subjugation of people of colour, black people and Jewish people.

Costello, from Kirkby, who called himself the Reverend, was found guilty of 18 offences of stirring up racial hatred after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court following an investigation by Merseyside Police.

He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment today.

As part of the case the CPS used evidence to show his connection with other convicted terrorists, including National Action member Jack Renshaw, who was jailed for life in 2019 for planning to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper and who he had exchanged letters and postcards with.

Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “James Costello styled himself as a ‘Reverend’ as part of his ambition to try and stir up racial hatred wherever possible.

“The messages he posted were intended to sow disharmony and be a violent call to arms against black and Jewish people.

“Our prosecution was able to prove he was responsible for this racist material which should have no place in our society.

“It is right that he has been convicted today for these offences.”

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Milligan of Merseyside Police, said: ““Costello placed stickers across public sites in Merseyside with the intention of advertising this racist abhorrent website in the hope that he would recruit and radicalise people who lived in the area to the Creativity Movement.

“I would like to thank members of the public for reporting this racist website to us so that we could launch a criminal investigation. “I would also like to thank the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division for working with us on this investigation so we could achieve this result.

“Our detectives worked hard to identify and seize the material whilst also identifying Costello as the main contributor to the site.

“The racist and offensive material uncovered by our officers was deplorable and could have caused serious tensions, anguish and violence in our community.

“I hope this result show that online hate will not be tolerated and online offenders are not anonymous. Merseyside Police take all such reports seriously and we will continue to work hard to unmask and prosecute online offenders. This hate material will destroyed by our officers and anyone who creates it will be prosecuted and jailed for their crimes.”

If you have any information about any racist material in your area, websites or social media accounts please contact police @MerPolCC, or call 101. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: Give information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org).