ORGANISERS of an anti-racism music festival plan to switch the event to Blackburn because Burnley Council has told them it cannot go ahead.

The Anti Nazi League was due to stage the music event in Queen's Park on April 27 but has been refused a licence.

The refusal has been heavily criticised by ANL members who said they were trying to offer the people of Burnley a positive event aimed at creating harmony in the town.

Now they plan to move down the M65 to see if a more friendly welcome awaits them in Blackburn.

Big names such as Basement Jaxx, DJ Tim Westwood and Miss Black America were billed to appear as well as local favourites The Burn and the Milltown Brothers.

Last August, Burnley Borough Council refused a similar application to hold the Love Music Hate Racism festival in Towneley Park. The festival was eventually switched to Manchester.

Lee Bellingham, of the Anti-Nazi League, said: "Burnley would have been our first choice for this festival but once again the council has shown a complete lack of co-operation which is nothing short of a disgrace.

"The whole point of the event was to have something that would be positive for the town and would help bring people together and it's unfortunate the council cannot see it that way. We have approached the council in Blackburn to consider an application to hold the event in Corporation Park and it is being much more helpful than Burnley."

Burnley Council's parks department said one of the reasons the application had been refused was that it was too close to the May elections.

It was also expected to be too wet and disruptive at the end of the local parks leagues football season.

The Anti-Nazi League has made Burnley one of it main focus points, following the election of three BNP councillors in the local elections last May.