A FATHER-OF-THREE says his children are living in fear after racist graffiti was daubed on his shop.

It was just the latest incident in a number of attacks to have plagued the store owner.

And it has led to police launching high visibility patrols and speaking to other shopkeepers in a bid to reassure them.

Arif Mahmood, who runs a corner shop on Spring Street, Rishton, found the graffiti when he opened the shop on Monday, and police say it happened between 10pm last Friday and 10.30am on Monday. The graffiti included the words 'BNP' and 'go city city,' and Mr Mahmood said the incident had devastated the family and frightened his three young children.

"We found out when we opened the shop and saw the door had been painted on," said the 28-year-old.

"We were shocked that someone could write something like that, and we were worried because they might do something else.

Mr Mahmood said it was not the first time the family, who have lived there for nearly three years, had been targeted by racists.

"We have trouble with kids saying things and people keep writing 'paki' on the shop and we keep cleaning it. We have had the windows broken and the car damaged but this is more racist now. We were devastated. Most of the people here are nice, but some give us trouble. My kids get frightened."

Sergeant Richard Terry, of Great Harwood police, said: "We are appalled by this incident and we are going to make every effort to increase patrols in the area to reassure members of the public, especially those who are vulnerable and all those businesses being affected.

"We have had an increase in general nuisance behaviour in the area and this could be a more sinister part of it.

"Any offenders caught will be severely dealt with. We have had no intelligence to suggest it's related to any political organisation and there is definitely no pattern of incidents.

"We have a number of other minority shops and takeaways in the area and we have spoken to them to reassure them."