A PROBE was launched last night into the shock resignation from a Blackburn race watchdog of a man who founded the organisation 35 years ago.

The Commission for Racial Equality in London is investigating why Labour stalwart Roy Martin quit the Blackburn with Darwen Racial Equality Council.

Mr Martin, a former magistrate and agent for long-serving Blackburn MP Barbara Castle, resigned after making allegations that elections to the body's executive committee had been surrounded by "wheeling and dealing."

He also alleged that the director of the REC, Abdul Hamid Chowdry, had given "explicit instructions" to officers not to circulate minutes from meetings of the body. Mr Martin had been due to conduct an inquiry into a scandal surrounding the resignation of the chairman of the REC, Coun Mohammed Khan, after he was offered, and accepted a £22,000 per year job with the body, despite his top job. Coun Khan subsequently resigned from the REC and also as housing chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Council. His deputy on the housing committee, Coun Dave Hollings, also resigned as he had been on the selection panel that offered Coun Khan the job.

The new chairman of the REC, Junaid Quereshi, has promised a full and impartial investigation into the affair.

But now the Commission for Racial Equality has stepped in. Commission spokeswoman Julia Herron said Mr Martin's letter of resignation and the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's leader column from Wednesday, August 11, calling for it to hold an inquiry, had been sent to the CRE's Manchester office from London.

She added: "Obviously there is sadness that a man who has made such a great contribution has resigned. We will be looking further into the matter."

Mrs Herron refused to say whether this amounted to a full inquiry but added that no final decision had been reached on what course of action to be taken by CRE chiefs in Manchester.

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