EAST Lancashire's multi-million pound Pathfinder scheme to tackle derelict streets will help halt the rise of the British National Party, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has promised.

He told the Labour conference in Bournemouth that poor homes were a breeding ground for criminals, drugs and racism.

Already Burnley, Blackburn, Hyndburn, Pendle and parts of Rossendale have received more than £6 million under the government's Pathfinder project aimed at renovating some properties and flattening other areas to make way for new homes.

They are now awaiting a decision on how much of the £500 million across nine areas of the North and Midlands will be given to East Lancashire to tackle the problem. The existing cash is being used to develop plans and tackle the worst areas on a short-term basis.

The consortium of local council want £680 million over ten years to solve East Lancashire's chronic problems with poor-quality Victorian terraced housing that is often unsaleable or unfit to live in.

Currently Burnley has eight BNP councillors and Blackburn one.

Mr Prescott told the conference: "In some areas of the North and Midlands there is the opposite problem: chronic low demand where where houses can go for a few thousand and whole streets lie abandoned with people trapped in homes they can't sell.

"No go areas. Breeding grounds for criminals, drug dealers and the rip off landlords.

"And breeding grounds the likes of the racist BNP.

"We cannot, we will not allow that cancer to spread.

"So I am making it a priority to move ahead as quickly as we can with our £500 million investment for the worst affected areas."