A COUNCILLOR has issued a public statement refuting any suggestion that he is the author of an anonymous hate mail campaign.

Material has been sent to particular members of the community, hand written in both English and Gujerati and containing false and slanderous statements.

Imtiaz Patel, a Liberal Democrat member of Blackburn with Darwen Council, condemned the campaign of character assassination.

He released a public statement in which he said, "I wish to make it known that I do not need to hide behind a veil of anonymity and I will not accept finger pointing as legitimate criticism from people who may not share my political ideology.

"I believe the community as a whole is sick and tired of this anonymous literature that is circulated on a regular basis."

"I would like to condemn this act as a cowardly form of character assissination and a level to which I will not stoop."

He went on, "I personally challenge those individuals who are falsely accusing me of being the author of the most recent slanderous document to come forward into the spotlight and confront me face to face.

"I will not hide behind any cloak of anonymity, unlike some, for I am committed to public participation and community development whereby people young and old irrespective of gender are encouraged to realise the potential of democratic participation."

Over the past three years Police have investigated a number of complaints by members of the community who have been targeted in a series of anonymous letters and photocopies. Most have been written in Urdu.

Sergeant John Rigby of the Minorities team based in Accrington said the problem of anonymous hate mail had come to the police's attention.

"No official complaint has been made about the incidents over the past few years. A number of letters have been sent and if an official complaint was to be made we would investigate it fully.

"These kind of letters seem to be circulated in the Asian community and are written in a number of languages. A member of a community shouldn't have to come out and make a public statement."