A NEO-NAZI police officer was caught on camera drinking in Swindon pubs and spraying political graffiti on a storm drain in the town.
PC Ben Hannam, 22, was found guilty of membership of banned right-wing extremist group National Action (NA) following a trial at the Old Bailey.
He was also convicted of lying on his application and vetting forms to join the Metropolitan Police and having terror documents detailing knife combat and making explosive devices.
He twice travelled to meet NA group members in Swindon. In January 2017, he met the group's co-founder Alex Davies in Swindon pubs. Seven months later, in July, he spray painted the symbol for an NA alias - NS131 - in the town.
READ MORE: Policeman sprayed neo-Nazi graffiti in Swindon
Ben Hannam Picture: MET POLICE/PA WIRE
The pub trip
On January 15, 2017, a group of NA members met up in Swindon. Among those present were Mark Jones, who was jailed last year for his part in the group.
Hannam went to the Yates Bar and the Sir Daniel Arms Wetherspoons pub, with CCTV showing him at Yates and in the town centre.
A ticket booking showed him departing London on the National Express coach at 11am and returning back to the capital at 6.30pm.
Hannam, bottom right, in Yates pub Picture: MET POLICE/PA WIRE
Boxing
Hannam was not part of a boxing training session at an unnamed indoor hall in Swindon on February 26, 2017.
Although he’d booked the same National Express service to Swindon as others who were present at the training session, there was no evidence that he got on the coach and travelled to Swindon. Nor was he on the 62 minutes of footage of the event shot on Mark Jones’ Acme camera.
Spray painting
Hannam could be seen spraying graffiti on a storm drain in the ‘NS131 Launch video’. He painted a symbol that appeared in his diary, while the storm drain appeared to be near the Mannington retail park in Swindon.
Hannam spraying graffiti Picture: MET POLICE/PA WIRE
In a video of Hannam spraying graffiti inside a derelict building – thought to be the Locarno Building in Swindon’s Old Town - he said: “Do you mind if throw my hood up, thanks. My hair, my hair identifies me.”
Hannam booked a ticket on the National Express coach to Swindon on May 27, 2017, and July 2, 2017.
Hannam, second right, posing with the Celtic Cross Picture: MET POLICE/PA WIRE
In 2018, the Adver reported on the presence of the neo-Nazi graffiti in the Locarno building. It was removed by Swindon Council around a month after the matter was reported to the police.
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