A LEADING Conservative Minister has called on communities like Bolton to “close down the space in which extremists operate”.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the Minister for Faith and Communities, said the challenge of dealing with extremism was “incredibly complex”.

Baroness Warsi was in Bolton talking to families at Heaton Children’s Centre in New Hall Lane and offering support to Christopher Green, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Bolton West.

But the Baroness said that she was also keen to get feedback on how the community of Bolton had been affected by the brutal killing of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

She added: “We were concerned how communities would respond to the killing and whether there would be a backlash — if there’s any positive to the tragedy it is the unequivocal, unified condemnation of it by the British Muslim communities, it shows a positive maturing of that community.

“Sadly we have also seen far right extremist groups like the English Defence League use the tragic incident as an opportunity to pedal their own poisonous hate.”

“But we won’t allow these extremists to divide us.”

On the fight against radicalisation, the Baroness said the government wanted to support communities in expelling extremists and put safeguards in place in places where radicalisation takes place, such as prisons.

Christopher Green was selected by Conservatives to contest the Bolton West seat at the 2015 General Election.

He will go head to head against serving Labour MP, Julie Hilling.

He said: “This is a linchpin seat that will be hugely important in terms of the government getting a majority — so I know I will be under major scrutiny.

“I think most people realise that after the recession, serious and difficult decisions had to be made and there has been no evidence of the Labour party getting to grips with what went wrong and how they would do things differently.”

Baroness Warsi, who is also a Senior Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, added: “This is an incredibly marginal seat, the majority here is so slim. It’s a seat.”

Ms Hilling has previously said she is “lookng forward” to debating the issues in the constituency with Mr Green.

She added: “Particularly the vindictive and cruel effects that his party’s policies have had on residents.”