How a Searchlight investigation into a tour guide company first exposed links between the National Front and London-based Italian fascists wanted for terrorism.
It was the Summer of 1983 and from somewhere – no-one can quite remember where – Searchlight had obtained a small leaflet and business card advertising guided tours of London. The tour company was called Heritage Tours. But from the start it looked very odd…
The names on it belonged to known fascists. One was Nick Griffin, later to lead the NF and the BNP. The address too was linked to the National Front.
And it offered guides who spoke English, German French…and Italian.
Well, we knew London-based UK fascists who could offer German and French. But who might the Italian speaker be?
As it happened, my Italian friend, Michele Zacchi was visiting London for the Summer. He wrote for Il Manifesto and was a good friend of Searchlight. When he arrived, I said “Michele, you’re going on a tour of London.”
“What…?”
He called the number on the leaflet and spoke to an English man, explaining that he wanted a tour in Italian.
“Roberto, it’s for you…” called out the chap on the other end.
And this is what happened:
andy bell 
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