A BAN on asylum seekers being sent to a North-East city following an Iranian man's murder has been lifted.

Last night, a leading refugee worker predicted it would become one of the safest havens for people of other nationalities.

It emerged this week that, following last month's murder of asylum seeker Peyman Bahmani, in Hendon, Sunderland, the Home Office stopped sending refugees to the city at the request of Northumbria Police.

The move was prompted by an increase in racial tension, with Iranians and other asylum seekers staging protest marches and calling for better police protection.

After the ban took effect, it also emerged that of the 2,000 reports of racial incidents received by the National Asylum Support Service since April 2000, as many as one in five may have come from Sunderland.

Yesterday, a police spokeswoman confirmed that the ban on asylum seekers being dispersed to the city had been lifted.

She said: "It was purely a temporary measure to allow tensions to settle, and after widespread consultation with the community and both voluntary and statutory bodies, a decision has been reached to return to the original policy."

Daoud Zaaroura, chief executive of the North of England Refugee Service, said some good had come out of the ban.

He said: "The police had a meeting with community groups, the voluntary sector and representatives from the Iranian community, and everyone was happy to recommend that any temporary suspension should be lifted.

"They will look at arrangements to improve the quality of the contact system and the reporting of racial harassment to the police.

"I think everyone has a better understanding of the benefits of dispersal."

Mr Zaaroura added: "Sunderland will be one of those areas that will feel proud of the support network it has established."