Darlington'S Trinidad-born mayor says problems of racism are worse than people think.

Coun Roderick Francis spoke out as a council committee considered a report on racial incidents in the town's schools.

The mayor said he found the present situation "quite frightening" and appealed to the whole community to work together to tackle the issue.

He thinks racism is essentially rooted in the home.

"This is a society problem," he said. "I have been here for more than 50 years and things have got worse. It is so sad.

"But the problem is in the home itself. This is the 21st century and yet things are going backwards. It is a bigger problem than you think."

Coun Francis, who arrived from the West Indies in 1955, said: "When I first came I never experienced young children showing signs of racism.

"Yes, there were problems but not among the young, mostly from adults.

"In the last ten years I have seen a change in the attitude of children or at least a minority of them."

Coun Francis said that on the estate he represents, there was a lot of deprivation and there were signs of racism among little ones that must be coming from the home.

As a school caretaker for 13 years, he has always had connections with children but believes some parents cannot cope.

"They don't talk to the kids but swear and shout," he said "It is a frightening situation just now."

He said when the Commission for Racial Equality was set up the intentions were good - to create harmony.

"But that is not how it has ended up," he said. "It took a long time to establish such an organisation in Darlington and many people involved with it have not grasped what it is for. That it is for all in the community."

He said Darlington Council was doing a lot to combat racism.

"It is a society problem and we have to work together to solve it," he said.

Coun Francis has lived on the Firthmoor estate for 45 years and said various schemes had been set up, including parenting classes and a new community centre.

"There are a lot of good projects going on," he said. "We want to target the gangs which gather round the shops and cause anti-social behaviour.

"We have to keep trying."

He said a lot of young people did a lot of good things but didn't get the recognition."

"The minority is in the spotlight. They cause all the trouble and shout the loudest," said Coun Francis.

"We can solve all this if society puts its mind to it. We will get there. We have to have hope."

* Racism in schools: page 5.