AN Asian father from Blackburn spoke about his personal experiences of racial harassment during the launch of a Racial Harassment Project with Home Secretary Jack Straw.

Iqbal Pathan, of Ambleside Close, was one of the guest speakers at Jans Conference Centre.

He spoke about how he and his wife, Nasim, had suffered seven years of harassment from white youths and claimed the police had not taken it seriously enough.

The trouble started shortly after the couple, who now have two young children, moved into the house in 1994.

Mr Pathan said: "The youths always stood outside my window and started kicking footballs against our wall and gave my family a lot of trouble.

"They jumped in front of my car while I was driving with my wife and children and smashed glass outside my house. They were damaging my property and not a great deal was being done by the police."

He said the thugs also smashed their windows, on one occasion while the police were there and damaged his car. The situation was eventually brought under control by the police but the couple said it had flared up again since.

Key speaker at the launch, Blackburn MP Jack Straw said he hoped situations such as this would be stopped through the Harassment Project. He said the project was a sign of how seriously Blackburn with Darwen takes racism. Mr Straw said: "The project is about something bad that happens to people but is also a good thing, in the sense that everyone is sharing in a common goal. As I look around this town and reflect on the changes that have occurred during the 25 years I have known it, I celebrate what has been achieved and the contribution that each and every person has made."

He said in figures released last week, the number of racial incidents across the country and in Lancashire had doubled and said that he was pleased that victims of racial violence were getting justice in the courts.

The Racial Harassment Project is a joint initiative by community groups set up to try and rid East Lancashire of racial abuse and violence.

Other guest speakers at the launch included the Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Coun Jack Bury, the Leader of the Council, Coun Malcolm Doherty, the Chief Superintendent of Blackburn Police, John Thompson, Lord Patel of Blackburn and the director of the Racial Equality Council, Mr A Chowdry.