AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into claims that a council candidate was subjected to racist abuse in front of his eight-year-old daughter.

Tony Melia, 43, of Woodside Bank, Darwen, has given a statement to police, who are now trying to trace the man responsible.

LibDem candidate Mr Melia, a company director of Melbro Properties, Bridge Street, Darwen, was delivering leaflets on Saturday afternoon for his campaign to claim a seat in Blackburn with Darwen Council's Earcroft by-election, on July 15.

His daughter, Isabel was helping him.

Mr Melia added: "I was walking down to the bottom of Lynwood and had got through one side of the street and went over onto the other side.

"As I got to the first house, I was approached by someone holding a paperboy's bag and I didn't think anything of it.

"When I approached the house there was a BNP leaflet in his hand. He said: 'One of mine for one of yours' and grabbed at the leaflet, but I said 'No thank you'. He started to get angry.

"I told my daughter to go down to the first house to get her out of the way."

Mr Melia claimed the man shouted racist abuse at him and his daughter.

He added: "I was concerned at what might happen.

"After that comment I walked across the road to carry on delivering leaflets and I didn't want to be intimidated. A number of people came out of their houses to see what was happening."

He added: "My daughter did not understand what he said but was very shocked by the language. It was ridiculous. I am quite shocked."

A police spokesman said: "It is being treated as racially-aggravated public order offence. The leaflet deliverers said they were working for the BNP. We are trying to speak with the BNP today to see if there were organised leaflet drops on Saturday afternoon.

"There was no physical intimidation but what happened was intimidating and threatening."