Exclusive by JANE FIELD

THERE are fears that the British National Party is stirring up racial tension in the town as Warrington's first Pakinstani Asian councillor is put forward by the Labour party for election.

Moslem Safdar Sultan, aged 67, of Marina Avenue, Great Sankey, will make history in the town if elected, but fellow councillors are worried that the party's propaganda could tarnish his campaign.

The father-of-four is no stranger to racial abuse. Last year the Great Sankey parish councillor and his family were subjected to racist harassment and vandalism by teenage bigots for more than four months. And several years ago he received death threats over his involvement with the town's multi-cultural forum.

But despite this he is not letting anything stand in his quest.

"I want to do what I can for the people of Great Sankey regardless of colour or creed, and am very proud," he said.

"Everyone in this world should do something for others because we are here to help each other.

"I will go ahead and stand for election no matter what."

"It is up to them if they want to challenge me - they can't say anything bad about me. In a way I think they are harming themselves more.

"I have been living here for 20 years helping people and if people should want to do harm than they should be ashamed."

Copies of BNP's newspaper, The Voice Of Freedom, has been distributed around the town, in particular around streets of Sankey south.

"We are aware that they are suddenly being distributed and are hoping that people will judge Mr Sultan on his record and what he has done, not by his colour," said his election agent, Clr Joe Holman

Mr Sultan is a retired underwriter for an American life insurers. He is president of the chairman of Cheshire, Halton and Warrington multi-cultural society, president of Pakistan Social and Welfare Society and a trustee of Arpley Street mosque.

Phil Edwards, spokesperson for the The Voice of Freedom said: "Our paper doesn't make any comments about him, we are not targeting him, I don't know what he is worrying about. It's a free country, the paper is perfectly entitled to express these views."