THE Bishop of Blackburn the Rt Rev Alan Chesters welcomed recommendations in the report into the riots.

Among the 70-plus recommendations the Cantle report, which also looked at the disturbances in Bradford and Oldham, said there needed to be a limit to the number of pupils from any one faith in any faith school.

Mr Cantle said the review team, which compiled the report, was not just concerned about faith-based schools but mono-cultural schools.

The Bishop, who is also the chairman of the Church of England board of education, said: "I warmly welcome the recognition in Mr Cantle's report that the problem of an increase in mono-cultural schools is not in any way confined to faith-based schools.The Church of England is as concerned as Mr Cantle that some faith schools appear to be operating discriminatory policies where religious affiliations protect cultural and ethnic divisions."

He said the Lord Dearing report on church schools recommended any new ones should be distinctively Christian but inclusive communities and they should reserve places for children of other faiths and none.

This was now the policy of the Church of England board of education, he said.