THE father of a 19-year-old who was stabbed in what police believe was a racially-motivated attack has praised race relations in Blackburn.

Mr Mulla, whose son Ishaq was stabbed by a gang of white men on Tuesday on a packed commuter bus from Blackburn to Burnley, says his family have been overwhelmed by support from both white and Asian communities since the incident.

Doctors will operate for the second time on seriously ill Ishaq, a college student, tomorrow after he suffered abdominal wounds.

Mr Mulla, from Audley, who has four other sons, paid tribute to Blackburn police and staff at Blackburn Infirmary, where Ishaq was taken.

"I have lived here for 34 years and all the white people all these years have been very kind, and still they are very kind.

"I have never seen any problems between Asians and whites and I still don't think there are any," he said.

"Everyone at the hospital has been so nice and I trust Blackburn police, who are doing a really good job.

"They have given me a lot of comfort. My son has lots of white friends too and he has had lots of cards from all sorts of people. Everyone we see, old or young, has been very supportive."

Mr Mulla said his son, and the family, were shocked by the attack but did not believe it was connected with events in Afghanistan.

"It is the first time in my son's life anything like this has happened, but I don't know if it has anything to do with what's been happening.

"The older people from my community would not see this as anything to worry about. This kind of incident is not only happening in England, it happens anywhere. I think there are more good people than bad. There are some bad from our people and some bad from the white people," he said.

Three teenagers have been arrested following the attack, which detectives are treating as racially-motivated.

The incident happened in the Furthergate area of the town on Tuesday.

The three men were being interviewed in separate police stations.

Police said Mr Mulla was set upon by a gang of white men who got off a bus bound for Burnley.

Police are appealing for witnesses.