A serving policeman who is leading the campaign by far right political party Forum voor Democratie in Helmond, is not involved in any conflict of interest, a spokeswoman for the national force has said.

Theo Heller, who has a ‘management role’ in the technology department of the police regional operations department Dros, is not only spearheading the Forum campaign in the Noord-Brabant town, but is also included on the Forum list of candidates in nearby Eindhoven.

The FvD, lead by Thierry Baudet, is taking part in the local elections in some 50 towns and villages.

Heller, 62, told local broadcaster Dit is Helmond he was attracted to the party because of its position on coronavirus and hoped to be able to restore freedoms which have been lost.

Party leader Baudet was recently ordered by a court to remove tweets in which he compares the current coronavirus regulations to the Holocaust, and to stop using photographs from the Holocaust to make his point.

FvD MPs have also threatened other politicians and healthcare experts with ‘tribunals’ for committing crimes in relation to coronavirus.

Asked if he supported statements made by the party leadership, Heller said that some of the things said by Thierry Baudet are to attract attention. ‘He is responsible for the things that he says and I am not going to comment on them,’ Heller said, adding that he supported the party manifesto.

Pressed again on the issue he said: ‘But I do not, not disagree with what he says.’

Constitutional right

The police force spokeswoman said it is a constitutional right for people to be involved in politics.

‘Talks between Mr Heller and his superior confirm there is no question of an unacceptable conflict of interest,’ the spokeswoman said. ‘That would have been the case, for example, if Mr Heller worked for the Helmond force. In that case he would have been moved to another department.’

GroenLinks was the biggest party in Helmond in the 2018 local elections, followed by the Christian Democrats and Socialists.