I LIVE in Bolton and my work is in Blackburn. Both towns have substantial Asian communities, and I am very surprised that while there are 15 Asians on the council at Blackburn (including a former mayor), five in Rochdale, three in Tameside and 11 in Oldham, there is just one Asian councillor in Bolton.

This cannot be a coincidence surely.

There are some wards -- Derby, Daubhill, Halliwell, Central, Burnden -- that have substantial Asian populations.

Given that Cllr Howarth and Mr Hartshorne have both roundly denied any racial bias in the local Labour Party (more than once), can we assume that their new candidates in these wards will be Asian?

I doubt it, but in fairness they should be.

If the Labour Party continue to deny or ignore the claims of the Asian community, that community will vote elsewhere, as happened in Derby Ward at the last election.

Latiq Subbaram

Salisbury Street

Bolton