THE National Secular Society believes single faith of any religion schools are divisive.

Its vice president Terry Sanderson said: "Children should be getting to know each other. We feel faith schools are posing a threat to the future of community relations by splitting people down religious lines.

"Once you start giving children the impression their own faith is superior, it leads to situations like you see in Northern Ireland."

The society, which is Britain's leading pressure group for atheists, agnostics and other non believers, advocates community schools where people of all faiths are taught together under one roof.

Mr Sanderson added: "Children from different faiths need to get to know each other and trust each other and become friends.

"Religious schools are allowed to have very strict entry requirements.

"If a child lived next door to a church school that was popular but of a different religion, he might have to travel for miles and miles to find another.

"Faith schools lead to all kinds of problems.

"The Prime Minister has said they are a good idea and that is why which is leading to this proliferation. In areas like Burnley where they are significant community relations problems, it is a very bad idea to create more faith schools.

"They should be pulling them down."

Coun Andy Kay, who was against the creation of the Blackburn Muslim school, said: "We should be promoting integration and building up the number of community schools we have, not the other way.

"I can see the arguments about equality and fairness of choice but I don't like faith schools at all."