MOHAMMED Khan has been elected as the first South Asian-heritage leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council.

He was chosen in a secret ballot at the weekend after his predecessor and fellow Wensley Fold councillor Kate Hollern was elected as Blackburn’s MP.

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The 69-year-old who first came to Blackburn in 1965, said: “I am so proud to become the leader of Blackburn with Darwen council.

“It is a great privilege and honour.

“I shall represent who whole community of the borough as I have represented all the people of Wensley Fold ward since 1992.”

Cllr Khan was born in Rawalpindi in Pakistan and came to Blackburn to work in the textile industry, studying for four years at the town’s college and in 1973 went to work in the United States for eight years before returning to the town.

He said: “I came back to Blackburn because it is my home and I love it and I am proud of it.”

Married to Naziran with four children and 12 grandchildren, Cllr Khan received the Order of the British Empire from the Queen in 2007 and served as Mayor of the Borough in 2008/2009.

At the weekend Labour group hustings, Cllr Khan was opposed by Meadowcroft councillor Ashley Whalley and Shadsworth with Whitebirk’s Jim Shorrock.

Labour group secretary Phil Riley said: “There were hustings and a secret ballot which Mohammed won.”

Cllr Khan has held a series of high-profile executive posts since the creation of Blackburn with Darwen as an all-purpose authority in 1998.

He has also been senior deputy leader since Labour retook control of the borough in 2010 and took over as interim leader when Kate stood down on April 1.

Cllr Khan said: “It is going to be a challenging job with more government cuts.

“The health and well-being of the people of Blackburn will be very important to me.

“We have people living longer which will put pressure on social care services and the NHS.

“One of my jobs will be to protect the vulnerable in the borough.”

Re-elected Rossendale and Darwen Tory MP Jake Berry said: “I congratulate Cllr Khan and look forward to working with him.”

Borough Tory group leader Mike Lee said: “I hope he will lead a more outward-looking administration.”

Liberal Democrat group leader David Foster said: “I hope Mohammed does a good job and leads a more politically-inclusive executive.”