Northern Ireland: Youth groups join to tackle prejudice

As part of the Mutual Respect project, young people from NICHS, a Belfast-based community relations charity, visited the Lancashire town.

And young British Asians from Bank Top Youth Forum recently visited Northern Ireland.

Blackburn Rovers allowed the young people into the player's tunnel after a Premiership match as part of the football club's bid to encourage more British Asian supporters.

Amar Abass, the Blackburn-based senior project co-ordinator of the Mutual Respect project, said: "All we hear about Belfast is terrorism. It made a change to meet Catholics and Protestants and listen to both sides."

Abass added: "The Irish said that they thought Asians just scrounged off the State and lived illegally. They were shocked to see cramped accommodation."