YOUR article 'Shakeup for race group' (LET, September 28) sets out at length that the local Racial Equality Council is to proceed with a review of its present procedures, functions and membership.

It briefly also informed readers that the National Lotteries Board, which partly funds the REC, had written to them with the result of its inquiry conducted into the procedures followed into the recent attempt to appoint a racial harassment officer to the REC.

This letter dismissed in total the allegations made against the applicant, Councillor Mohammed Khan. His good name was completely cleared, as were also those of the members of the interviewing panel.

The letter from a senior officer of the board stated that it had considered the sequence of events leading to the appointment, that it was satisfied that REC followed the correct procedures in relation to the recruitment and selection of the project supervisor and that "the terms and conditions of the grant had not been breached and that there was no evidence of bias or mismanagement." Further, it said that the investigation was now complete and that the go-ahead to re-advertise the post of project supervisor was given and that the original grant award stood.

The developments which are the background of the case, culminating in the directed resignation of Coun Khan and colleagues, are in every respect disgraceful.

A vendetta and, as was stated by one of those attacked and accused, a Macathyite witchhunt was pursued over a number of weeks. This was done while an inquiry was under way. Clearly, potentially, it could have prejudiced its progress and findings.

Above all, it caused deep, hurtful distress to innocent individuals with additional damaging effect on the work and progress of the Racial Equality Council.

CLIVE EDWARDS, Hope Street, Blackburn.

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