I WONDER if certain Labour councillors in Blackburn realise what a boost they may have given the British National Party by their handling of a planning application -- now rejected -- that could have turned a former old folk's home into a hostel for asylum seekers.

For as rumour and concern flared up among residents in the town's Griffin area, the far-right BNP homed in with a leaflet campaign, warning that the shut-down Witton Bank nursing home there could be transformed into 30 bedsits for asylum seekers.

"It's your community, not theirs," their leaflet said, with a stress that exposed both its sinister separatist ideals and played on people's fears.

Quite rightly, it was deplored by councillors of the ruling Labour group. Two complained to the police that the leaflet could constitute racial hatred.

But what was the town hall's response? It began by denying the plan, saying that Witton Bank could not become a centre for asylum seekers -- as the borough already had 700 of them, which was the limit agreed with the Home Office.

This total, which had never been previously made public, it then transpired, was already being exceeded in any case -- because extra arrivals were being housed in private-sector accommodation outside of the social housing which the council had arranged for refugees. And the Witton Bank plan was being proposed by a firm with a government contract to house asylum seekers in the private sector in the North West. So, despite council denial, the plan was a potential goer, not a scare story.

It failed to get consent on conservation grounds. But while protesting residents might be pleased at this, what will be their outlook of how they were dealt with by the town hall?

Who was more frank with them -- the council or the BNP, which said there were a lot of unanswered questions about the proposals?

And how were their concerns treated? One of their petitions, with 1,200 signatures, was rejected on a technicality and their campaign against the plan was condemned as being 'little short of bigotry' by cabinet member Councillor Andy Kay.

Perhaps bigotry was indeed at work. But, nonetheless, residents may be forgiven for feeling they were first of all not told the full story and then insulted for their reaction when they found out.

And if some feel the party that did listen to them was the BNP, members of the ruling party ought to ask if their response has helped to fuel that view. They need, I think, only look to next-door Burnley to see why the BNP made ground with voters who felt ignored or slighted by the party in power.