SIX Pakistani Labour councillors in Blackburn have issued a joint statement ‘strongly disagreeing’ with Jack Straw’s remarks on sex grooming.

The Blackburn MP has upset a number of his own councillors after suggesting some Pakistani men saw white girls as ‘easy meat’.

But bosses insisted there would be no lasting fallout in the Labour Party.

The statement was signed by Couns Mohammed Khan, Zamir Khan, Arshad Mahmmod, Parwaiz Akhtar, Iftakhar Hussain and Faryad Hussain.

It said: “As Pakistani councillors on Blackburn with Darwen Council, we strongly disagree with Jack Straw’s remarks concerning the fact that some young men of Pakistani origin have been involved in ‘grooming’ British girls for sex.

“In our opinion, it was wrong of Jack to suggest that child sexual exploitation in Blackburn is carried out solely by some Pakistani men and it was wrong to link one specific community to these despicable crimes.

“In no way does the Pakistani community sanction these evil crimes and to suggest that this is connected to the community culture is offensive.”

The issue should be one of criminality, which is not racially-motivated, the councillors said.

They added: “We strongly condemn the perpetrators who are involved in this abhorrent and disgusting behaviour and we applaud the actions of the police in bringing them to justice.”

Yesterday Coun Khan said while councillors were unhappy, there was ‘no chance’ of a walkout.

And council leader Kate Hollern said: “If they feel Jack has not represented the people they represent, they have a right to say so.”