Asian gangs 'out of control'

The race riots of summer 2001 were some of Britain's worst

Gangs of Asian youths in the north of England are out of control, claims a Labour MP.

Ann Cryer, who represents Keighley in West Yorkshire, says youths, mostly men, are resorting to turf wars and totally disregarding the law.

And she has criticised leading representatives of the Asian communities in the north of the country for burying their heads in the sand and not acknowledging there is a problem.

But critics say her comments are offensive and counter-productive.

They have no fear of the law as they assume the Asian community's loyalty will protect them

Ann Cryer

The MP stressed that the majority of Asians were law-abiding and hard working, but a minority were arrogant and felt they were above the law.

"These young men and their appalling behaviour are becoming role models," she told BBC News Online.

"They are the ones with the fast cars and smart suits.

"If we do not defeat them their children will become part of the problem."

'Polarised lives'

"They have no fear of the law as they assume the Asian community's loyalty will protect them.

"People are escaping scot free because members of the Asian community are intimidated by them and fear for their own lives and those of their families.

"The community must power itself - not to take the law into its own hands - but to co-operate with the police."

She believes the violence is mainly caused by drug dealers protecting what they regarded as their territory.

We need to bring these young men - whatever their racial background - back into normal life

Robin Banerji of the Commission For Racial Equality

The Muslim News editor Ahmed Versi is calling for Asians to be given the resources to tackle the problem "within the religion and culture of these communities themselves".

But Robin Banerji, of the Commission For Racial Equality, believes the problem cuts across racial divides.

"We need to bring these young men - whatever their racial background - back into normal life," he told BBC News Online.

"It is something we all need to tackle - the police, parents and other agencies and youth services."

Ann Cryer says the majority of Asians are law-abiding

And Labour Party National Executive Committee member Shahid Malik, a former senior member of the CRE, is calling on Ms Cryer's constituents to "stand up against" her.

"She has failed the ethnic minority community in Keighley," he said.

"Her comments are offensive and I do not think she should be the MP in Keighley under the Labour Party.

Mr Malik, from Burnley, called Ms Cryer's comments an "extremely dangerous stereotyping of race, completely irresponsible and profoundly counter-productive".

"Her agenda is an agenda for damaging race relations," he concluded.

But the head of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain believes Ms Cryer was right "to comment on what she sees as a major problem" because Muslim leaders have lost touch with Asians.

Ann Cryer is the local MP and she knows her own community

Head of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain, Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui

Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui said: "The leadership in many of these Asian communities is very old and from the rural areas of Pakistan - first generation immigrants.

"Their minds are frozen in time, their attitude is to push things under the carpet.

"Ann Cryer is the local MP and she knows her own community," Dr Siddiqui concluded.

Ms Cryer's comments come in the wake of race riots in Bradford, Oldham and Burnley last summer.

A report commissioned by the Home Office investigating the causes, said people in Britain were leading "parallel" and "polarised" lives and that different backgrounds did not mix.