SWINDON'S Racial Equality Council says the Conservative party's plans to curb immigration will give extremist groups an excuse to victimise asylum seekers.

Tory leader Michael Howard used a keynote speech to explain how his party would stop people claiming asylum in the UK and instead accept an annual quota of 'genuine' refugees approved by the United Nations.

But Jaginder Bassi, director of the Swindon Racial Equality Council, said he was disappointed with the proposal.

"I don't think it will assist in improving race relations in the UK," he said.

"I think it will give the green light to bigots and those with deep-seated prejudices to express themselves more openly."

According to official figures, more than 41,000 asylum seekers are currently residing in the UK. Some 115 now live in Swindon, 75 of whom live in Labour MP Julia Drown's south constituency.

Ms Drown said Swindon and Britain should be proud of its status as a haven for people fleeing the world's war zones.

She said: "Asylum seekers add to our economy. People who genuinely face persecution should be allowed to stay."

Robert Buckland, the Conser-vative prospective parlia-mentary candidate for south Swindon, said the plans were a response to a genuine concern expressed by millions in the UK.

He said: "This isn't a knee-jerk response.

"It isn't just a concern expressed to him (Michael Howard) but to me when I'm out canvassing in Swindon."

Over the weekend the Tories used a full page newspaper advert to spell out their plans.

These include imposition of an annual limit on immigration numbers, curbing work permits through an Australian-style points system and the introduction of 24-hour security at ports in order to clamp down on illegal entry.

Mr Howard, whose Jewish father fled to South Wales from Romania in 1939, acknowledged that they would face accusations of playing the race card.

But he insisted his proposals were not racist, just common sense.