WHAT goes on at the Burnley and Pendle Racial Equality Council?

Certainly, it seems to be the opposite of the harmony that is supposed to be its watchword.

For, on top of a mass resignation by around a quarter of the bodies belonging to it, three members of its executive have walked out.

There are also allegations of shady goings-on - of bogus bodies being set up to grab votes and power on the council.

This is worrying. And not just because of the potential harm done to the racial equality cause when groups involved in it are themselves falling out. For this REC also consumes £130,000 a year in public money.

What good is that being put to when, it seems, the organisation itself is falling part amid internal strife?

Answers, please.

We agree with the calls today for a full investigation of this body.

And let it be open and independent.

For there is evidently a mess in this organisation - one that is doing no good and which may be wasting huge sums of public money to boot.

That cannot go on. This mess must either be sorted or the REC shut down.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.