COMMUNITY leaders today said people have learned valuable lessons from last year's disturbances.

Burnley Council's deputy Mayor Rafique Malik agreed people had learned valuable lessons.

He said: "I think people are going to realise more and more that conflict is not in the best interests of our town and the best interests of our people."

He said the Daneshouse community had co-existed in harmony for 30 to 40 years and it was important race relations issues were pursued to make sure the situation continued.

Council leader Stuart Caddy has spoken to thousands of people across the town and attended scores of community and task force meetings to gauge the public feeling since the riots.

"We listened and we are acting," he said. "I do believe things have changed and people are a lot more confident now. There is still a lot more to be done but I think people have moved on from the problems which brought about what happened in June."

He said one of the major steps forward was to end the myth of how funding was allocated to certain areas of town.

Coun Caddy also said the introduction of an Opportunities Fund would help to pay for projects in the areas of town where main stream funds were not available.

He said Burnley Wood should see progress on a wide range of initiatives in early May and work had already begun in the Accrington Road area.

Burnley's MP Peter Pike said he was encouraged by the signs of people working together to improve the town.

He said: "There are some encouraging signs.

"Within the ethnic communities the relationships between Bangladeshi and Pakistani people have improved.

"There are still a lot of issues and there are a very small minority who are more intent on causing divisions than helping to heal breaches, but they are in a minority."

Mr Pike said he was going to continue to press Government to provide funds to improve the housing in the area and he was hopeful that the Government was going to recognise the needs of East Lancashire and provide the necessary funds.

He said: "We have still got to address the core issues as soon as possible but I think there have been positive steps taken."

Mr Pike said he was pleased by the positive steps taken by the local churches and added: "It is what people in the communities do now that is important."

Mr Pike will be meeting with Lancashire County Council next month to discuss the education issues raised by the task force recommendations.