Red card for racism in Cumbria

The local football club is involved in the scheme

A campaign raising the issue of racism in Cumbria gets under way in Carlisle on Wednesday.

The Show Racism the Red Card campaign is supported by the county's branch of Unison with the support of Carlisle United Football Club.

The campaign starts at Brunton Park, with Unison also sponsoring Saturday's home league match against Wrexham.

More than 60 schoolchildren will attend the event on Wednesday and their will be CD and poster material available.

Raising issue

Unison organiser Mark Clifford said: "There has been an increase in the number of racial incidents reported to the police in the last two or three years.

"Racism does exist in Cumbria and we need to address that issue - I think as a county we have been behind in raising the issue."

Mr Clifford, who is black, said he had suffered racism as a child growing up in Appleby, and as an adult in Carlisle.

He said: "As an adult I became more aware of the "silent" type of racism when I moved to Carlisle 14 years ago."

He said he was also disturbed by the activities of the British National Party in the North West in the past few years.