A SCHEME to control asylum seekers and prevent harassment and abuse has been launched to prevent Blackburn becoming a racial flashpoint.

The move came as residents were told they had brought "shame" on the area by making political refugees' lives hell.

Coun Frank Connor, executive member for rights, advice and entitlement at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "The way some of the asylum seekers are treated when they arrive in the borough is little short of appalling and the people responsible should be ashamed of themselves.

"When they open their windows, they have eggs thrown through. When the windows are shut, bricks are thrown through. And the sad thing is that this is happening on a regular basis." Blackburn with Darwen Council is set to assume responsibility for the dispersal of all asylum seekers in the borough in a bid to solve the problems.

Until now, the government has agreed to place no more than 700 asylum seekers in the borough at any one time.

A Home Office department, the National Asylum Support Service, has been responsible for dispersing the asylum seekers in the borough, with around 125 places supplied by the council, using Twin Valley Homes.

The remainder have gone straight into the private sector, with the council not told who is living where.

This has led to flare-ups in some areas, with asylum seekers becoming the target of racist attacks, forcing the council to step in and find new homes for them.

A spokesman for the Home Office today said it was currently working with several councils on changing the system for dispersing asylum seekers following requests from councils.

Under the new system, which the council will pilot, the authority will be responsible for placing asylum seekers in both Twin Valley properties and the private sector.

And Coun Connor appealed to councillors to help dispel rumours circulating in the community that asylum seekers receive 'luxuries' such as mobile phones, wide-screen televisions, cars and a choice of homes.

Last month, the council issued staff with a memo warning them not to discuss asylum issues publicly after support worker Peter Mulholland wrote to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph accusing people of whipping up hatred against them.

Coun Connor said: "This new scheme will make sure we know where all of the asylum seekers are in the borough so we can help them."

Police insist that attacks on asylum seekers are not a problem in Blackburn with Darwen.

But one asylum seeker who claimed to be the victim of a mugging said he was too afraid to contact police in case it made the situation worse.

Last September, it was revealed that the number of asylum seekers in the borough had rocketed above 800, when the limit was supposed to be 700.

A freeze on asylum seekers coming to the borough was introduced.

There are about 400 asylum seekers in the borough now.

More will begin to arrive under the new system, which will be introduced later in the year.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is the only authority in East Lancashire to have signed a deal with NASS to take asylum seekers.

That decision was taken because it felt it would at least be able to support some them and have a say in how many came to the borough.