Two men have been jailed after becoming the first in Britain to be convicted of inciting racial hatred online.

Simon Sheppard, 51, of Selby in North Yorkshire, received four years and 10 months, and Stephen Whittle, 42, of Preston, two years and four months.

The men printed leaflets and controlled websites featuring racist material.

They fled to the US after being convicted of rate-hate offences at a trial at Leeds Crown Court last year, but failed in their asylum bid.

Sheppard, of Brook Street, Selby, was found guilty of 11 offences and Whittle, of Avenham Lane, Preston, was found guilty of five offences at a trial in July last year. Sheppard was convicted of a further five charges in January 2009.

But before the jury in the first trial could return verdicts, both men fled to Los Angeles International airport and attempted to claim political asylum.

Their bid was thrown out by a US immigration judge.

The men were charged with publishing and distributing racially inflammatory material, and possessing racially inflammatory material with a view to distribution.

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