RACIAL tension has rocketed in Barnsley - even though the number of immigrants and asylum seekers in the borough is tiny.

Racist attacks have soared by 40 per cent, to 220 in the last year, according to council figures.

And research by a local councillor reveals a surprising number of town centre residents consider immigration issues as the town’s most pressing concern.

Most of the racist incidents, which range from verbal abuse to physical attacks, have been in the Dearne Valley and town centre where the numbers of migrant workers tend to be concentrated and central ward councillor Mike Stokes said the trend is a worry.

He has distributed a questionnaire to 4,500 homes in the ward asking what their concerns were and analysis of early respondents shows at least a third consider immigration and race to be a major concern.

“It frightens me. The vast majority of us, if we dig not too deeply, will find we’re economic migrants.

“It is an issue which needs to be addressed because it is a concern. I think it is largely fear of the unknown, rather than fear of the real situation, and I am going to have to do a lot more research because I want to know if people’s views are real or imagined.

“At this point the situation needs to be addressed even if it is only exposing the myths. It is mainly about education and exposure and getting people to integrate.”