The far right British National Party (BNP) came close to winning its first seat in Croydon last week.
The party made electoral gains in other parts of the country, including Barking and Dagenham where it seized 11 of the 13 seats it was contesting.
The party fielded two candidates in Croydon standing in Fieldway and New Addington.
It was in Fieldway that the BNP fared best.
It polled 692 votes, just 134 shy of Carole Bonner Labour's second placed candidate.
If, like many other wards, Fieldway had three representatives instead of two the party would have taken its first foothold in the town hall.
The party's candidate in New Addington got 774 votes, coming sixth out of eight.
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