A RACE watchdog group's chairman has promised changes after a job controversy led to resignations at the top.

Blackburn with Darwen Racial Equality Council has been told by National Lottery bosses they did nothing wrong during a saga that claimed the post of two high ranking officials in the organisation.

But local REC officers will still carry out a review of its work and produce a report recommending changes.

Labour councillors Mohammed Khan and Dave Hollings both resigned from the REC after Coun Khan was offered, and accepted, a £22,000 a year project supervisor job, even though he was already chairman of the body.

Coun Hollings was Coun Khan's deputy chairman of housing at the town hall and both also resigned their council posts.

The REC was also rocked by the resignation of one of its founder members, Roy Martin, over what he described as the "wheeling and dealing" which surrounded elections to the executive committee of the body.

A letter from the National Lottery Charities Board, which funds the REC, said: "The NLCB is satisfied that the organisation followed the correct procedure in relation to the recruitment and selection of the project supervisor.

"The terms and conditions of the grant have not been breached and there is no evidence of bias or mismanagement."

Janaid Qureshi, who took over from Coun Khan as chairman of the REC, said its executive committee would "take a number of steps" to further the work of the REC and to address the issues that had arisen over the past few weeks.

He said: "The chairman and vice-chairman will also carry out an internal review on all its functions, procedures and training needs for all staff and executive committee members.

"They will produce a full report with clear recommendations to be implemented as soon as possible.

"The executive committee will also seek help and advice from the Commission for Racial Equality on an audit of its procedures and membership criteria."

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