A RADCLIFFE businessman faces a lifetime ban from a race relations body he quit three years ago.

And Mr Mohammed Muneer has accused Bury Racial Equality Council (BREC) leaders of excluding him because "they can't take genuine criticism".

Mr Muneer, of Eton Hill Road, has been told the ban has been enforced because of his alleged attempts to harm the organisation and to bring it into "disrepute".

Previously, he had served the racial equality council for 12 years before resigning as vice-chairman in 1997 after an internal row.

Since then, he has been a constant and vociferous critic of the way BREC has been run.

He was among demonstrators who took part in an angry anti-BREC protest outside Bury Town Hall in June during the organisation's annual general meeting.

News of the lifetime ban was sent in a letter from the race body's membership panel.

It made reference to Mr Muneer's "past and present behaviour in respect of your attempts to harm the BREC" and its new powers "to permanently exclude from membership any organisation or individual who persistently and repeatedly brings the BREC into disrepute." The letter added that the exclusion was being imposed, despite the fact that in all probability Mr Muneer would not be applying for membership.

But the 56-year-old businessman, who runs Gorsis Indian Frozen Foods in Hamer Street, Radcliffe, retorted: "How do they know l will not be applying for membership?

"Although I hadn't done so since 1997, it was something I had never ruled out."

Commenting on the ban, he fumed: "I feel sad and very hurt. This all shows the racial equality council can't take criticism.

"I am a man of honour and I want that organisation to run perfectly. I'm not against the BREC in principle but the people who are running it."

He added: "They can't take genuine criticism. It seems to me that from now on, anyone who dares criticise will be chucked out. There are differences of opinion in every organisation."

BREC honorary secretary Mr Sam Cohen said the change to the constitution, paving the way for the exclusions, had been approved by the Commission for Racial Equality.

"We've taken this decision because certain people have been trying to engineer the demise of the racial equality council," said Mr Cohen.

"Why should people who are trying to cause the end of BREC even want to be considered for membership?"

Mr Cohen claimed letters criticising BREC had been sent in the past to the Commission and Bury Council, its two main funding bodies.

"There has been an organised campaign by around four or five people. Why should we put up with somebody who wants to get rid of the BREC?"