A COMMUNITY leader today reinforced his appeal for calm on the streets of Burnley - as he recovered from an alleged assault by police which left him needing hospital treatment.

Shahid Malik, 33, a member of the Commission for Racial Equality and the son of Burnley's deputy mayor, spoke after a night when the violence eased, even though 22 people were arrested.

He said he would be seeking legal action against the officers responsible for the incident, which ended with his arrest, but urged people not to take to the streets.

Police today confirmed Mr Malik, a member of the Labour Party's national executive committee, would be questioned at a later date about the incident and that they had already begun their own inquiry into the allegations that had been made as well as contacting the Police Complaints Authority.

More than 200 specialist police were involved in last night's operation and two pubs were closed to prevent trouble.

Those arrested were detained for offences including incitement to racial hatred, violent disorder, being drunk and disorderly, criminal damage and possession of offensive weapons.

Home Office Minister John Denham was also today studying a report into Mr Malik's arrest after speaking to Burnley MP Peter Pike.

The incident involving Mr Malik, which happened on Abel Street shortly after 8.30pm, was the only major flashpoint, although three late night arson attacks, on Burnley Car Dismantlers' scrap yard in Arch Street, an Indian restaurant in Hapton, and a car in Holme Road, Stoneyholme, were being linked with the troubles.

And taxi drivers took their vehicles off the roads in Burnley and have vowed not to return until they feel safe.

Mr Malik, a former Barden High School pupil, claimed he was struck by a shield as he approached riot police on Abel Street to assure them the situation was calm as groups of young Asians gathered.

Mr Malik was today at the home of his father, Coun Rafik Malik, in Colne Road, and said: "If anyone is to do anything in my name they should stay calm and stay out of trouble.

"That is the message and was last night when I was semi-conscious, dripping with blood.

"I was asking for no trouble and that message seemed to have filtered through."

Coun Malik said: "He has had to have six stitches over his right eye and he was feeling dizzy.

"There was blood all over his face.

"But please don't use this as a catalyst for further violence in the town.

"I spoke to many Asian youths last night and told them there was no need to be aggravated by this and not do anything stupid."

Labour MP Mr Pike said: "I spoke to John Denham about 11pm last night after I heard about the incident.

"He asked for a report to be with him for 7am this morning.

"I was tying to find out full details.

"I have known Shahid extremely well for many years. I am sure anything he would have done would have involved trying to calm things down.

"What we need is for people to stay calm. We need a full investigation and I am asking the police for full details.

"Luckily there was less trouble than there was on Sunday night so we are moving in the right direction.

"I am reserving my right to call for a full inquiry if I am not happy with what happens."

Mr Denham welcomed the statement by Mr Pike in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph in which he appealed for calm and urged for white and Asian youths to stay off the streets.

Lancashire's deputy chief constable, Paul Stephenson, today said: "We can confirm that during last night's disturbances, a man was arrested in Burnley and injured during the course of the arrest.

"His injury required hospital treatment and, we are aware that he was subsequently discharged.

"We have arranged to interview him as apart of a fuller enquiry into the circumstances that led to his arrest.

"We are also aware of the allegations that have been made through the media about police conduct, and we have appointed an officer to investigate these."

Two crates of petrol bombs and a number of offensive weapons were recovered during the massive police operation in Burnley last night, it was revealed today.

And an Indian restaurant at Hapton, six miles away from the main troubles in the Duke Bar and Daneshouse areas, was also fire-bombed and destroyed, Chief Supt John Knowles, the commander of the Pennine police division, said.

He did not reveal where the petrol bombs were found but said, apart from the restaurant, damage was considerably less than the night before.

Representatives from various faiths were today due to walk the trouble streets of Burnley speaking to those affected by the recent troubles.

Abdul Hamid Qureshi, general secretary of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said its members would be walking alongside people from the Anglican Muslim Group and the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters.

He said they would visit areas that were worst hit by the violence speaking to both Asians and whites of their experiences.

Mr Knowles said: "We took a far more pro-active approach last night.

"We identified hot spots where trouble was developing and intervened as soon as they occurred."

Of the 26 arrested so far since the trouble started, eight people have been charged with public order offences and were due before Burnley Magistrates' Court today.