HOUSING bosses have re-homed a family of black African refugees next door to a former British National Party councillor.

Zimbabwe immigrant Idah Ruzive revealed that police called on her family on the night she moved in and asked: "Do you know who you are living next to?"

Twin Valley Homes has been slammed for its insensitivity by Coun Tony Humphrys, who said the family should be moved from the house, in Ballantrae Road, Shadsworth, Blackburn.

Robin Evans, the former BNP councillor who has decorated his home with Union flags, said people who attended his house for meetings might be offended.

And he added: "I do not have a problem with Africans living next door but hope they are not asylum seekers."

Twin Valley today said that Mrs Ruzive and her family had expressed an interest in living in Ballantrae Road as part of its B-with-us letting service.

It said it was not their policy to give out details of prospective neighbours.

Mrs Ruzive, 32, moved into the property last week with her husband, Lawrence, 32, and seven-year-old daughter.

She said: "I really didn't know anything about the area and Twin Valleys told me nothing about what to expect or who was living next door.

"On the first night we moved in the police came round and said, 'Do you know who you are living next to?'

"We had no idea and felt a bit worried when they gave us a phone number to ring if there was any trouble."

Mrs Ruzive had been applying for homes for the family since she moved to the UK from trouble-torn Zimbabwe in 2002.

Her husband and daughter joined her in the UK on August 7 but she refused to discuss whether they were seeking asylum.

Mr Evans, 39, regularly holds meetings of his new British Nationalist Socialist Party.

It was formed after he quit the BNP and before the loss of his Mill Hill seat on Blackburn with Darwen Council earlier this year. He said: "I can understand they may feel intimidated and think that they should have been told who their neighbour was before they accepted the house.

"In the same way, I should have been told that they were moving in next door, as they might have it in for me.

"Of course I would rather have old Mrs Smith living next door who has been trying to get a Twin Valley home for ages than someone who has just arrived off the boat, but I will cause them no problems.

"I can't believe that the police went round to tell them about me. Why didn't they come round to tell me about them then?"

Phil Richards, chief executive of Twin Valley said: "

"Mrs Ruzive, clearly chose to live in this area as she has expressed an interest in 20 homes in Shadsworth, nine of which were on Ballantrae Road, before securing her current property.

"The 'B-with-us' lettings scheme ensures the choice of where to live lies where it should be - with each individual customer."