A TASK group to bring together white and Asian communities is being launched in Hyndburn -- days after the BNP started campaigning in the borough.

Hyndburn First Ltd, the borough council's development arm, approved plans for a community cohesion task group to produce an action plan for its board to consider in January.

Coun Mohammed Rahman said: "With the BNP it is quite topical and its work is a lot more important now than it has been in the past."

The move follows news that the extreme right-wing party was systematically targeting key wards in Hyndburn in preparation for next year's local elections, in which it promised to put up ten candidates. The party has dropped leaflets in the Netherton ward of Great Harwood, in Rishton and has also reportedly targeted Peel and Barnfield in a strategic attempt to cover all areas that have a majority white population.

Twelve of the council's sixteen wards will be contested, the four not up for re-election are Milnshaw, Huncoat, Immanuel and Clayton-le-Moors.

Hyndburn First, with representatives from the borough and county councils, police, business and voluntary organisations, will also appoint a co-ordinator who will be responsible for producing the plan.

Hyndburn Borough Council leader Coun Peter Britcliffe said the task group had important work but added that Hyndburn was not plagued by racial tensions.

"Even when riots went on in Burnley, Hyndburn remained peaceful and it is important that we continue to do so, that is why this group's work is important," he said.

"The New Era Centre is a place where young people can work together without racial tensions and we set up such things to ensure that racial tensions don't flare up in Hyndburn.

"But I would hope the new group will look at further ways to integrate communities. It is very important to look at community relations and obviously we live in a small world which gets smaller by the day. The BNP may grab a few cheap headlines but most people are decent people and I'm sure they will support my sentiments."

Coun Rahman, of Netherton ward, Great Harwood, said: "Hyndburn is not as bad as places like Blackburn, Oldham and Burnley, but we can't be complacent."

Mark Hopley, Hyndburn First's strategy manager, said: "The importance of achieving a more cohesive community has been recognised and debated previously by the LSP board.

"The recently adopted Hyndburn Community Strategy committed the LSP to developing a Community Cohesion Action Plan for Hyndburn."