Twice this month police were forced to re-think how they deal with racist offences.

In Lancaster a shopkeeper has quit his corner shop with compensation of £140,000 from police after claims that they failed to protect him.

Mal Hussain, 50, endured a 14-year campaign of racial abuse and physical attacks at the shop he ran with his his partner Linda Livingston.

His shop has now been taken over by another Asian - Parmijit Singh.

And in Clitheroe, members of the Medina Islamic Education Centre were awarded £,5000 and received a public apology from the police over officers handling of alleged racism at a public meeting.

The move came after a complaint about racist outbursts at a planning meeting in Ribble Valleys Council Chambers.

Shopkeeper Mal Hussain claims he has been subjected to intense racial abuse, including attempts to shoot him, arson attacks and death threats.

The National Assembly Against Racism began supporting his campaign by establishing the Friends of Mal Hussain campaign.

But he finally got out of the shop, enabling him to move out of the area, when the Mini-Mart and three-bedroom maisonette was sold after being on the market for 10 years.

Altogether Mr Hussain logged more than 4,000 incidents and spent more than £40,000 on repairs to the graffiti-scrawled property, fortified it with razor wire and steel shutters, and installed security cameras.

Mr Hussain had long complained that neither Lancashire police nor the city council did enough on the council estate to stop the racist attacks.

Of the thousands of incidents only a fraction were taken to court, despite their severity and consistency .

Mal Hussain said: "I relentlessly campaigned against the attacks I have experienced because racists cannot be allowed to get away with their acts of violence and harassment. This is a sad day for us, because we feel we have been pushed into a corner and options removed from us."

The new owner of the Ryelands Minimart Paramjit Singh said that his first impression of Ryelands has been a good one and he has been made to feel welcome.

In Clitheroe a public meeting, was held in March 2003, to discuss plans for a mosque in Holden Street was interrupted by racist shouting, which police failed to deal with.

Mosque leaders made a formal complaint and Chief Superintendent David Mallaby, divisional commander for Eastern division, has now offered a public apology to Farouk Hussain and Sheraz Arshad, chairman and secretary respectively of the centre.

Mr Mallaby said: "The police officers who were present at the meeting when racist comments were made by some members of the audience, should have acted at the time, but didn't.

"However, this was due to them, in the main, not being properly briefed prior to the meeting and I take responsibility for that. There has been a lengthy inquiry into the events of that evening and I recognise that the incidents were not dealt with appropriately at the time.

"This is unacceptable and I apologise to all those who have suffered personal distress and strain as a result. There are certain points of learning we take from this and will build on in the future.

"This incident was out of step with the very positive action that we take in respect of racist incidents, and the community were right to be concerned.

"We do not tolerate any sort of racist behaviour.

"Since the meeting we have been liasing with Mr Hussain and Mr Arshad to achieve a satisfactory resolution.

"We have given £5,000 compensation to the Medina Islamic Education Centre and unreservedly apologise for the distress caused. We are hopeful that we can continue to build on what was, and remains, an excellent relationship with the Muslim community of Clitheroe."

Mr Arshad welcomed the apology, saying: "When the police failed to act after the racist comments we felt it sent out the message that it was acceptable to do that.

"We are relieved that they have acknowledged their shortcomings. We are reassured by it, and hope it will help improve religious and race relations in the town."

Mr Hussain said: "I'm delighted theyve accepted responsibility for what happened. It hopefully means the police will not now tolerate racist behaviour and be more sensitive to the needs of the ethnic minority."

The mosque plans were subsequently rejected on planning grounds.