ANY extra funding brought to Burnley because of the racial disturbances would be welcomed by businesses, said Chamber of Trade Secretary Rita Walsh.

She pointed out: "There are areas of Burnley which I feel have been neglected and we have some terrible places which we do need to do something about.

"If we get more investment it will give us a good start for 2002."

When he visited the town last month Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said Burnley may be a guinea pig for a new government regeneration programme which could solve its empty housing crisis.

If given the go-ahead, the 10-year plan would see grants from central government being used to overhaul Burnley's empty housing.

The Task Force report has recommended all public sector agencies, including the regional development agency and Lancashire Learning and Skills Council should annually assess their contribution to Burnley's Economic Strategy Action Plan.

All economic support agencies are also recommended to urgently assess how they can deliver services more locally to Burnley's deprived communities.

Rita said: "It was inconceivable what happened -- I think most people in the town were taken aback because this is just not the sort of thing that happens in Burnley.

"We are a multi-cultural society and people usually live together in harmony."

Rita said a lot of the members of the chamber who lived on the edge of town were very concerned for their businesses during the disturbances. She said: "It is no joke to be in a shop worrying about something coming flying through your windows.

"We have had little bits of scuffles which have nothing racist about them but everyone was shocked by what happened. What we have to do is all work together to build a future and I think things have already settled back down quite well -- that is the feedback I get."

She said she was sure shopkeepers would welcome any outside investment helping to improve conditions in the town because people wanted to get on with their lives and put what happened behind them.

Rita said: "Burnley has been a multi-cultural society for a long number of years but it is true that we do tend to lead separate lives especially socially.

"It is a problem for all of us and something which we all maybe should think about. Good Muslims don't go to pubs and don't drink or smoke and have their own fashions and there will always be shops which purely cater for those needs.

"But we all have to live together and that goes for the rest of the country not just Burnley."

The BNP said the Task Force report into the summer riots is a vindication of its policies.

Although the report criticises the BNP and says that through consultation with young people, they found 'this group hold openly hostile views towards the Asian population of the town', the BNP said it welcomed it.

Deputy organiser of the BNP for Burnley and Pendle, Simon Bennett said: "We just hope that now they will take steps to tackle our problems and that they will recognise that the multi-cultural society is not foolproof and perfect.

"We have highlighted there are faults with multi-culturalism and have been condemned for it.

"We have been vindicated, because things we have highlighted in our literature -- like white people being afraid to complain or raise issues for fear of being branded racist -- are highlighted in the report."