AN asylum seeker support group today confirmed people had not been placed in Burnley since rioting erupted in June 2001.

Geoff Ormerod, a member of an asylum seekers support group in Nelson, also said asylum seekers have not been sent to Pendle either.

He spoke out after a government minister revealed the Home Office has suspended the dispersal of asylum seekers to Blackburn, Burnley and Nelson.

The statement came after a question from Pendle Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Greaves.

He asked the government which cluster areas for the dispersal of asylum seekers had seen the suspension of any new dispersals of refugees.

Government spokesman Lord Filkin said that the dispersal of any asylum seekers to the whole cluster for Burnley and Nelson had been suspended at the request of the police.

Lord Filkin also said the dispersal to the whole Blackburn cluster area had been suspended at the request of the regional consortium of local authorities.

Mr Ormerod said: "The Home Office makes these decisions for a variety of reasons, probably largely on the recommendations of the police.

"Really it is not for a group like ourselves to comment on government policy. We suspect it is as a result of the disturbances in 2001 and the election successes of the British National Party.

"But it would be undesirable for the general population to get the impression that by rioting they can affect government decisions."

A Burnley councillor, who did not want to be named, said the decision to halt the dispersal of asylum seekers to Burnley was taken after the riots in June 2001.

The councillor said: "You are hardly likely to send people fleeing from racist crimes in one country to an area where tensions between races and cultures exist.

"There was a conscious decision made to not increase the difficulties people have in this area.

"I think that the disturbances made people in higher authority more conscious of what problems people are facing."

According to Mr Ormerod there are only 150 asylum seekers in Burnley and Pendle at the moment.

He added: "Most are attracted to our big cities, where they will perhaps feel less of a sense of isolation. They are more likely to have a larger community of people from their native country, employment prospects may be greater and, of course, there are always more amenities in cities."

A police spokesman said that Pennine Division was aware of the decision to stop sending asylum seekers to Burnley and Nelson, but insisted that it was a matter purely for the Home Office.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We do suspend dispersal programmes in certain areas for a variety of reasons.

"In this instance it was after a request from the police. It doesn't mean the area is unsafe for asylum seekers."

The spokesman also revealed that the disturbances in 2001 and the election of three BNP councillors to Burnley Borough Council will have played a part in the decision.