A WELL-known community leader has spoken of his delight after receiving a Royal invitation to the Queen's annual garden party.

Sher Ali Miah, 43, of Belford Street, Stoneyholme, has been invited to the party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, for his work in the community over the years.

He has been an active community leader since he left Barden High School in 1977 and has since been involved in setting up the Bangladesh Welfare Association and the Building Bridges project in Burnley.

The former Burnley Wood councillor has also been involved in community cohesion work alongside other community leaders and councillors, following Burnley's riots in 2001.

He will be accompanied to Buckingham Palace by his eldest daughter, Rahena Begum, who works as a bilingual nursery nurse at Stoneyholme Nursery School.

Mr Miah said: "It is a privilege and honour for me to be invited by Her Majesty the Queen to attend her garden party.

"I am delighted that community work has been recognised in this way."

He added: "Burnley became famous for the wrong reasons two years ago and also last year due to the rise of the BNP.

"The voluntary and the faith sector has been working hard around the clock with its partners to eradicate racial discrimination and other underlying problems in Burnley.

"Bridges have been built in Burnley, although a tremendous amount of work still needs to be done to make Burnley a prosperous town, where everyone can be proud and live peacefully in a harmonious way, accepting each other for what they are and having tolerance and respect for each other's views.

"The whole community needs to play an active role to alleviate the massive problems in Burnley such as derelict properties, overcrowding, poor health, under-achievement and the rise of extremist parties.

"It can only be done through a partnership approach with the decision-makers of this town."