Mogul Tahir in rich list fortunes slip

According to the Asian Xpress Rich List 2003, the chairman of the Simonstone-based Time Computer group is now worth £70million.

Mr Mohsan's wealth in 2000 was estimated at £175million to put him in the top ten of Britain's wealthiest Asians. His fortune has slipped over the past three years and he is ranked at 23rd in this year's list - down from 16th in 2002.

Time Computers hit problems in 2001 and made hundreds of people redundant and closed a number of stores. Last year, it bought out its rival Tiny Computers and relaunched its retail sites.

And the new millennium has not brought too much fortune for Burnley-born Shami Ahmed, who founded the Joe Bloggs fashion empire from a stall on his home-town market.

His fortune has more than halved since 2001, from £90million to £35million, leaving him languishing in 47th place, down from 21st last year.

The third East Lancashire entry in the UK's 300 wealthiest Asians is the elusive Blackburn lottery winner Mohidin Muktar, who is still reckoned to be worth some £20million. He was Britain's biggest-ever lottery winner when he scooped £17.8million in 1994 and features in 89th place in the list.

The Asian Xpress Rich List - to be printed as a special supplement on April 25 - has been compiled by Philip Beresford, author of the Sunday Times Rich List. Other Lancashire Asians listed include Arif Patel of Preston-based Faisaltex Manufacturing, with £70million, and Kirit and Meena Pathak, of Wigan company Pataks Spices, on £25million.

Sarwar Ahmed, publisher of the list, said: "These entrepreneurs have created enormous wealth, but also supported their communities by creating jobs and bringing investment. Although the traditional businesses of fashion, food and retailing are still strong, up and coming generations are moving into the fields of media, pharmaceuticals, mobile phones and technology.

"The list demonstrates how far Asians have integrated into British society."