RE E Arnold (LT, May 29). The writer is indeed correct that Pakistanis and Indians were brought over to provide a source of cheap labour for the textile manufacturers.

I started work at William Birtwistles in 1963 at Waterfall Mill and worked over a period of time in many weaving and spinning mills in the area.

The story was the same every time. Asians were to be found in the worst paid jobs, ie oilers, sweepers and general labourers. I never saw an Asian knotter, taper, beamgaiter or overlooker. If they became weavers, they were usually dumped on night shifts.

They were deliberately kept out of these positions and actively prevented from accessing any skills by the employers and, it has to be said, with the support of many in the white labour force and the textile unions themselves.

I saw and experienced the appalling intolerance of many white people to Pakistanis and Indians and not just verbally, but in expressions of physical violence.

Ask any Asian taxi driver today about how many times he is abused and attacked by white men and women whilst providing a service for them.

Back then in the 60s and 70s it was a sickening experience and served to shape my intolerance to racism in all its forms.

So when programmes are made on television about Blackburn like the recent Panorama, asserting that Asians want to live separately and this is encouraging "white flight" they might like to consider the actual facts and try and understand the issues in a little more depth.

Blackburn, tragically has a history (and surrounding areas also) of severe discrimination against Asian people whilst at the same time pushing them into the worst housing areas.

Instead of getting to grips with the lack of affordable housing, equality of opportunity and access to skills in the sixties and seventies, we had the NF then the NP and now the BNP.

Disgracefully, these same ideas are now being echoed by Government Ministers and their Shadow counterparts.

Do we ever learn? Why can't we accept and respect people of differing cultures and celebrate them? It really isn't that hard and is very rewarding.

GEORGE S DAVIES, Redearth Road, Darwen.