Liberal Democrat councillors in Blackburn have come under fire from Labour and the Conservatives for distributing a leaflet about Muslim women and the veil.

Labour and Tory councillors said the leaftlet had only been sent to Asian areas and used language that was likely to inflame tensions.

The Liberal Democrats said the leaflet was legitimate political campaigning and raised genuine concerns that people in the town had after MP Jack Straw raised the issue of Muslim women wearing the veil.