BRITISH National Party leader Nick Griffin has hit back at Tory leader Michael Howard's attack on the organisation.

He said the BNP was a stronger political force in Burnley that the Conservatives, with seven seats on the council, compared to their three, and should be taken seriously.

He said the Tories were "finished" in towns like Burnley.

"It's an attempt to come onto our turf and the effect it has had is to draw attention to us and the fact that we are a serious player.

"I expect to get our number of councillors into double figures at the next election."

He added: "If Michael Howard wants to talk about asylum he should be doing it in his own constituency in Folkestone, where there is a problem, because it isn't the issue in Burnley."

The Conservative group leader on Burnley Council, Coun Peter Doyle, said: "We have got to tackle the BNP head-on and it is right to do that here where they have had some success."

Simon Woolley from Operation Black Vote said: "It is a good day when the leader of the Conservative Party publicly declares that the policies of the BNP have no place in a decent society."

Residents and community workers at Burnley Wood One Stop Shop also welcomed the visit.

Sue Cooper, co-ordinator of the community facility, said: "We told Mr Howard a lot about this organisation and how it is working in partnership with residents to sure Burnley is a better place to be."

Pensioner Sheila Halstead, 67, who works as a volunteer for the lunch club, said she had told the MP about how residents had worked hard to get the One Stop Shop up and running.

She said: "We have had other people visit us and promise us things that have never materialised.

"Mr Howard did not promise us anything, but he listened to what we had to say and said he was impressed with what we had done."

Brian Fenn, chairman of the recently formed Burnley Wood Residents' Action Group, said he had told Mr Howard about the problems of housing, transport and crime that residents faced everyday.

Abdul Hamed Qureshi, vice chairman of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said he thought the visit had been positive overall, but that Mr Howard should have spoken in more depth about how to tackle education, employment and housing problems.

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