TWO of Preston's most famous university graduates have thrown their weight behind Preston's bid to become a city - less than a year after they blasted locals for being racist.

Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres, who had a number one hit last year with Brimful of Asha while part of Indie group Cornershop, threw their weight behind Preston's tender for city status while promoting their new band Clinton.

Both studied at the University of Central Lancashire in the early 1990s and recorded much of their music in Preston after meeting on campus.

Tjinder said: "Preston needs city status so it can compete with places like Manchester and Liverpool and it deserves it.

"We regard Preston as our home town now and we love coming back."

Tjinder's positive perspective of Preston is a complete u-turn on the opinions he expressed last year in a national music magazine.

He outraged people in the town last October when he described locals as racist, claiming he endured hatred at the hands of Prestonians and fellow students during his time on campus.

At the time, he said: "I experienced a lot of extreme racial violence in Preston. It wasn't just from one group of people, it was among locals and students."

Preston offically submitted its bid to become the first new city of the new Millennium to the Home Office last week. A glossy, 16-page brochure was handed to government officials, entitled Preston Has Come of Age.

And according to the bookies, Preston has a good chance of beating its 39 rivals to city status.

Bookmakers William Hill have drawn up odds of 20-1, putting it ahead of the other Lancashire contenders Blackburn and Blackpool.

However seven towns have been placed at 16-1 - including Brighton and Wrexham - while Guildford is the early leader, at 10-1.

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