EAST Lancashire's first Asian mayor, Mirza Yousaf, has been appointed the joint president of the Hyndburn and Rossendale Racial Equality Council.

The Accrington businessman and Mayor of Hyndburn was made joint president at the annual meeting of the council.

His counterpart in Rossendale, Lawrence Forshaw, will make up the second part of the team in the coming year.

One of the first jobs of the new president was to officially open the new offices of the REC in Oak Street, Accrington.

Dorothy Ramsden, the chairperson of the council, said: "We are particularly proud that Councillor Yousaf, also a long standing member of our executive committee, will be the Asian mayor of a Lancashire borough."

And REC director Derek Loney added: "The landmark of the year, and a landmark event in Lancashire, was the election of Mirza Yousaf to the office of mayor in Hyndburn.

"This is a particular pleasure in that Mirza has long been involved in the Racial Equality Council, very active in the community, and in the course of his work as a councillor a dedicated proponent of of equal opportunities."

Worryingly, the annual meeting heard that the number of racial incidents reported to the police in both Rossendale and Hyndburn doubled in the last year.

In Accrington, the number went up from nine to 20 and in the Valley the figures increased from 14 to 26.

But Derek Loney believes the rise is due to more police awareness and understanding of problems like racial harassment.

He said: "It is believed that greater emphasis on briefings, improved procedures, and cross checks by the police with the Crown Prosecution Service have contributed to these increases.

"In dealing with incidents we have had excellent co-operation by the police although some of these instances, particular those of repeated harassment at local shops, can be most insidious and resistant to remedy."

In the last year there were also reports of British National Party activity and leafleting in the Oakley and Crawshawbooth areas of Rossendale.

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