THE Bishop of Oxford has urged people to use their votes ‘constructively’ in the European and council elections.

He also warned that “extremist” actions at the ballot boxes could have severe consequences.

The Right Rev John Pritchard was speaking after the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury issued a joint statement calling on people not to vote for the BNP.

Bishop John stopped short of mentioning any specific political party but called on people to vote “thoughtfully and responsibly.”

He said: “Confidence in some aspects of the democratic system has been shaken in recent times and it is therefore all the more vital that we do not abandon belief in the importance of using our vote and doing so constructively.

“History demonstrates that for evil to win it is only necessary for good people to do nothing. Extremist responses to deficiencies in our democratic process will only take us to worse places."