I and probably many others in Blackburn were saddened to read that our Mayor had broken Government guidelines and attended a family wedding party.

He and others were quite correctly penalised with a fine of £200. This was a man in a very influential position in our community who should have been setting an example and it was a serious error of judgement although I commend his decision to fall on his sword and resign before it was demanded.

Whilst the vaccine programme has hit its target of 15m, statistics support the view that there is a clear reluctance and a lack of uptake by ethnic minorities understandably for cultural reasons to be vaccinated.

As long as this situation prevails locally it will be very difficult to eradicate the virus or keep it under control. I have a suggestion for our Public Health Director. Professor Dominic Harrison. that he arranges for a mosque or mosques to be the location for vaccination centres manned, if necessary, by Asian medical staff which might improve the confidence of the community and increase the numbers receiving the jab.

I do believe this has happened in other parts of the country with the full support and encouragement of religious leaders.

From a personal point of view. three weeks ago I stood in a queue of 150 outside the cathedral waiting patiently for the vaccine and worryingly there was not a single person of colour among us.

Jim Oldcorn