Letters and emails have flooded into the Reporter's office over the course of the week expressing support for Colin Auty's song Savile Town, Where's it Gone? after the lyrics, inferring drug dealing and paedophilia are rife in the mainly Asian community, were printed in last week's paper.

And despite protests against what many see as an offensive and disturbing attack on an ethnic minority, the amount of support the song received has left some suggesting that Dewsbury is inherently racist.

Support for the song came in the week that the Standards Board for England (SBE) found Coun Auty (BNP Dewsbury East) had not breached the elected members code of conduct by publishing the words in the party newspaper, The Voice of Freedom.

A report by the SBE stated that they had received a complaint about his behaviour, but officers had decided not to investigate it.

But Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Shahid Malik described the SBE as a "toothless tiger" for dismissing the case so quickly.

He blamed community divisions in the town on political cowardice and the "silent majority" failing to stand up to extremist groups such as the BNP.

He said: "Political cowardice means that extremism becomes acceptable. As an MP I have done more speaking out against people who call themselves Muslims than anything else. But we must also speak out against groups like the BNP. We can't afford to do and say nothing. I would rather lose the next general election than stay quite on these issues."

Coun Auty said the town's problems were a result of the lack of integration between different groups. He said the government had created secular societies which has resulted in a "them and us" situation.

Coun Auty said: "Them and us will never work. It would be nice if the Asian elders came out and spoke, but they are secular - they never come out with opinions. We need to sit down with good Muslims and address all the problems."

Coun Auty added that the Asian population in Dewsbury is around 20 per cent, but Dewsbury Area Committee has six Muslim councillors to three white councillors.

He said: "It's a power base, and once they have the power they have control. It worries people."

But Coun Imtiaz Ameen (Conservation South), who lives in Savile Town, said there was no justification for people supporting the views Coun Auty expressed in his song.

He said: "The corner shop Mr Auty's grandma used to use is still there, still selling the same products, but it's run by an Asian businessman. That's what he can't stand. People might support (the song) due to misconceptions about freedom of speech...but any decent person will recognise that an elected member cannot say that."

Kirklees Council leader Coun Robert Light said the reaction the song provoked didn't mean that Dewsbury people were racist. He said: "It demonstrates some frustrations and concerns that some people have about changes in our area. All communities have seen changes and to single out Savile Town because it is predominately Asian is a misconception."

SEE this week's Reporter letters pages 4 and 5