Asylum seekers attacked in Blackburn

Police ordered housing chiefs to find new homes for the victims after a spate of incidents, described by one witness as both 'intimidation' and 'physical assault.'

Blackburn with Darwen Council has revealed that several families had to be moved to other locations in the borough following the incidents, which are being investigated by police.

Details of the incidents in Blackburn come as the government postponed sending asylum seekers to some towns caught up in recent race riots -- including Burnley. A Kurdish man has been murdered and an Iranian stabbed in Glasgow in recent weeks.

Although the executive member for citizens' rights and consumer affairs, Coun Maureen Bateson refused to be drawn on the specifics of the incidents, Coun Edward Harrison, who represents Meadowhead ward, said the incidents happened near to his home in Brookway in the Livesey area of Blackburn.

A council spokesman confirmed: "People moved to new accommodation included two Polish families, a Lebanese family and an Algerian man.

"The transfers took place on the advice of the police."

Around 125 asylum seekers are expected over the next three years by the borough.

There are already more than 20 families in the borough, along with a handful of single asylum seekers.

In Blackburn, there are Palestinian, Kosovar, Algerian, Russian, Pakistani, Zimbabwean, Somalian, Iranian, Afghan, Libyan, Yemeni and Polish asylum seekers. Coun Harrison said: "People who have made our lives a misery for years are responsible for the serious disorder which resulted in the asylum seekers and Kosovar refugees having to be taken to a place of safety due to the intimidation and physical assaults on these very vulnerable people a few weeks ago.

"Myself and the majority of the other residents on the Livesey estates are appalled by what has happened. The council and the housing association needs to act to make sure people don't get away with this sort of thing."

Coun Bateson said: "Sadly, some recent incidents have resulted in the transfer of a small number of families from the properties they were originally allocated.

"This was done with the complete co-operation of all our partners, including the police, residents' groups and Twin Valley Homes, the housing association, and I am glad to say there have been no further incidents reported."

She added: "Blackburn with Darwen Council has carried out a great deal of preparatory work during the time we were drawing up the asylum seekers contract with the Government.

"Asylum seekers are not all placed in one area but across the borough and we haven't had any problems in the past. Of course, the council is concerned by what has happened, and we will be doing all in our power to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Coun Bateson added: "One problem is that although we make all support available to the asylum seekers who are put into our care, many more are arriving under the care of private landlords, who do not take as much care as we do. "They miss out on things like health services and sometimes aren't living in appropriate places."

"We have a good track record for welcoming people from troubled areas and the borough accommodated many Kosovan refugees very successfully during the conflict in that region."

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "We have received details of the incidents in Blackburn and are taking them into consideration with regards to future arrangements."

A spokesman for the National Asylum Support Service said: "We are concerned by all incidents like this and have made a note of what has happened. We work closely with councils like Blackburn to make sure houses and areas are suitable. It is our understanding that many of the asylum seekers in Blackburn are very happy to be there."

A police spokesman said they were investigating but could not comment further.

Afghan asylum seeker Abdul Waheed, who has been in Blackburn for six months, said: "I am very happy here. It is safe.

"The people have been very nice to me."