A Halifax Evening Courier headline about a BNP councillor's conviction for benefit fraud triggered two separate attacks on newsagents.

In the first incident, one shopkeeper claimed to have been attacked by a man who objected to the newsbill outside the shop displaying the headline "BNP leader is a lying cheat".

In the second incident 24 hours later, a gang of ten youths hurled racial abuse at an Asian newsagent and smashed the windows of his shop by throwing stones.

Courier editor John Furbisher said the first incident appeared to have been a direct result of the newspaper's bill outside the shop, whilst the second incident was also probably linked to the headline because of its timing.

He said: "I feel very sorry for the newsagents involved. They are there doing a great job for us selling our newspapers."

John said that the Courier has told its vendors to exercise discretion in displaying bills if they feel it could provoke similar or repeat incidents.

He said: "It never occurred to us until this happened – but we have to be free to publish stories in the way we want and we have to be free to put our bills out as we see appropriate.

"It won't change what we do, but occasionally we might have to say to shopkeepers they have the option of not putting the bills out."