ON October 10, the vice chairman of Blackburn and Darwen housing committee, Councillor Dorothy Walsh, stated that "the needs of the local Asian community are greater than the indigenous one," with regards to housing the homeless.

In my opinion, when a family or individual becomes homeless, their plight would be as desperate as the next unfortunate case, regardless of colour, creed, race or gender.

Coun Walsh said this during an interview on Radio Lancashire's 'Asian Word,' a programme presumably aimed at the Asian community.

Would she like to explain to the wider community on what grounds she has formed this opinion, espousing a statement that borders on being racist.

Name and address received

Footnote: Coun Walsh said: "It is a statistical fact that the ethnic minority community in Blackburn with Darwen are more likely than the general population to live in poor quality housing.

"The council has worked with a recognised degree of success for many years to improve the quality of its oldest areas of housing which benefits all of the people living there.

"In answer to the question about homelessness, people from the ethnic minority community are treated exactly the same as all other members of the community.

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