POLICE and community leaders today said they were backing Blackburn to ignore right wing extremists after the British National Party announced it was planning to stand in local elections.

BNP leader Nick Griffin has revealed that the organisation has plans to work in white communities and compete in local wards next May.

Abdul Hamis Qureshi, the secretary general of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said that Blackburn's pro-active community groups have always kept BNP activity in the town to a minimum, and that this mentality would also null their latest recruitment campaign.

Inspector Steven Gregson, the police officer in charge of the ethnic minority team, said: "Blackburn has culturally diverse population and all the communities in Blackburn have good relations with each other. This was demonstrated during recent outbreaks of violence in the north of England when Blackburn was unaffected."

Mr Griffin said he had not visited Blackburn for six years so rumours of a recent visit were groundless. But he said the BNP had received an increased number of membership queries from the town.

He added: "In due course we will be working to set up an effective local organisation in Blackburn, and hope to contest local elections. But we have a policy of avoiding confrontation in favour of low key, grass-roots work in white communities."

Blackburn has always been free of the trouble seen in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford. Mr Qureshi said: "I suppose in the past there has been some element in Blackburn which belonged to the National Front or BNP. "If that happens again it will bring the trouble we saw in other places. This is because the BNP wants to create disturbances to indicate support. One could say it is not a good sign but in a democracy you can't do anything about it.

"The type of trouble we have seen was incited by 10 to 15 people. This is not an unachievable task and sometimes I wonder if they pay money to stir up disturbances. Nick Griffin is targeting only the areas where there are Muslims. That is what he has made statements about."

Council Rafique Malik, deputy leader of Burnley Council, has witnessed the BNP increased its share of the electorate in his town. He said: "The nationalist party can get votes in any town were people are not being listened to. When I say people I mean those in deprived areas and unable to utilise the system.

"Burnley Council is trying to take steps to ensure that people are heard."

He added that the BNP held two seats in Blackburn in 1976 but did not even last one term. "They didn't last because people realised who they were. They come out as champions of the white race but they are not that.

"They hate anybody who, according to them, is not white or what they believe in. No party can survive on that.

"The parties in Blackburn should ensure that the BNP are not able to mis-inform people and make them disenchanted with the normal system."