Home Secretary David Blunkett today met representatives of the Muslim faith with each party reaffirming their condemnation of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. Mr Blunkett also reassured them that the Government and the police will do everything in their power to prevent the Muslim or any other faith communities from being abused for the heinous acts carried out in the United States last week. Mr Blunkett said: "I unreservedly condemn any attacks on Muslims or Muslim communities.

Every right thinking person in our country are united in our defence of democracy. This is not a question of east versus west. It is about protecting the freedoms our democracy enshrines. These are values shared and upheld by Muslims throughout Britain. I particularly wish to echo the Foreign Secretary's praise for the leader of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf.

I have made it absolutely clear to the police that protecting those under threat or attack is an absolute priority and I will continue to monitor this closely. I welcome wholeheartedly the message of solidarity with our Government that I have received from members of the Muslim community today, which reflects their absolute condemnation of the events of Tuesday September 11th. Now is a time to strengthen our democracy by drawing on the participation and commitment in society of all our citizens, from all faiths and communities.

The Government welcomes the response of the representatives of the Muslim community over the last week. Their condemnation - and that of other faith communities - of events in the USA is shared by the whole country. In these testing times it is important we are vigilant against racist elements in society who see an opportunity to stir up tensions in our communities. We must stand firm against them."

The London Assembly Economic Development Committee has urged the Government to make a firm financial commitment towards the regeneration of East London's infrastructure as soon as possible, if London is to be successful in its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The British Olympics Association updated the Committee yesterday on London's bidding process for the Olympic games. Proposals to build an Olympic village in East London are widely supported.

However, in order to meet the deadline for Olympic bids in 2005, developments in the infrastructure, particularly transport, must be speeded-up. Eric Ollerenshaw, Chair of the Economic Development Committee said: 'If London is to make a serious bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, more progress must be made in improving East London's infrastructure. An Olympic bid centred in East London could provide the drive to speed up all the social, economic and transport improvements London needs to make more a balanced and sustainable city. This is an opportunity London should not miss.'

In a week when many of Tower Hamlets Bangladeshi community are beginning to feel worried, Muslim leaders in Britain have staged crisis talks amid fears of Islamaphobic attacks following the terrorist attacks in America. The general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, Yousuf Bhailok, reiterated his total condemnation of the " atrocity" at the World Trade Center. "We, the Muslims of Britain, wish to offer our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have been killed or injured following the atrocities committed in the United States," he said.

"Terror affects us all, terror of this enormity must not be compounded by kneejerk reactions that would make victims of other innocent people." Tower Hamlets' and Britain's Muslim community as a whole, who identify themselves through their dress, are beginning to worry that a backlash is imminent. Death threats have forced the closure of Britain's only statefunded Muslim school. North London's Islamia Primary and Girls Schools received telephone calls threatening to "raze them to the ground". The school, which caters for 400 pupils, is now shut until further notice.

"We have stepped up our security and have additional people on site," said headmaster Abdullah Trevathan. "Just don't presume we're all fanatics. We have hopes and feelings and are just as upset as anybody else." Iqbal Sacranie, chairman of Muslim Aid, warned that a backlash could affect race relations in Britain formany.many years to come. He said that a group of Muslim infants had been targeted on their way to a north London primary school.

"The children were verbally harassed and had newspapers thrown at them by adults," said Mr Sacranie. "Using strong language, they were accused of being responsible for the attacks in the US and told to 'go back where they came from'. If these attacks continue, it will split communities and it may take generations for the damage to be repaired." After a series of threats to mosques, the MCB has now made contact with senior officers in the Metropolitan police to ensure that they are aware of the locations of Muslim places of worship.

The problem has also hit Asians of other religions, who have been mistaken for Muslims. There were reports of 16 incidents involving members of the Sikh community yesterday afternoon alone. One Sikh man, who has lived in Britain for 30 years, told the Evening Standard that he ran for his life after being threatened by two men. The man, who said he was too frightened to give his name, said: "I was walking to my car after work when these two men shouted, 'What have you lot been up to? We're going to have you'. "They chased me down the street but I managed to get into my car in time and drove off. I am so scared that I feel it isn't even safe for me to walk on the streets any more." Such scenes echo events in America where Arabs have been targeted and Islamic centres have been vandalised.

Tower Hamlets' Islamic groups have not hesitated in the condemnation of the recent tragedy in America this week. Local resident Sakhawhat Daymi said: "This is a very sad day for all Muslims in the West. This will only lead to bad community relations." The Home Secretary David Blunkett welcomed the public condemnation by faith groups in the UK of attacks on the United States.

Mr Blunkett said: " I have seen the comments made by the Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of all faith leaders in the UK. This follows a helpful statement by the Muslim Council of Britain condemning (the) despicable terrorist action in the United States. At such a time it is vitally important that people of all faiths unite to oppose and abhor not only terrorist acts but also the people who fund and support them.... At the same time it would be wholly wrong if anyone in the UK or elsewhere were to stigmatise the Muslim or any other community of faith in this country for atrocities carried out by as yet unknown terrorists."

The Muslim Council, based in Wembley stated earlier: " British Muslims, along with everyone else, are watching events in America with shock and horror. Whoever is responsible for these dreadful, wanton attacks, we condemn them utterly. These are senseless and evil acts that appal all people of conscience. The MCB stands shoulder to shoulder with remarks made by our Prime Minister Tony Blair. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the innocent victims, their families and communities. We convey our deepest sympathies to President Bush and the people of America. No cause can justify this carnage. We hope those responsible will swiftly be brought to justice for their unconscionable deeds. As the British Muslims come to the full realisation of these most awful events, which they condemn wholeheartedly, they too are beginning to feel a huge sense of fear. Terror makes victims of us all. It is beyond reason. Terror on this scale must not be compounded by knee-jerk reactions that would make victims of other innocent peoples of the world. This would only add to the devastation caused."

A number of boroughs including Tower Hamlets are facing an alarming re-jig in police numbers under a controversial new funding formula being examined by the Met. The changes are contained in a new proposal for the system of allocating police officers to individual boroughs.

Now under discussion at a series of police "workshops", it will assess policing needs not only on the basis of crime-level statistics, such as the number of 999 calls, but also on wider social factors. Deprivation, truancy rates, homelessness and the number of pupils with English as a second language will play a part in deciding the number of officers a particular borough needs.

Other factors will include the number of pubs, secondary school results, unemployment, persistent offenders and the number of commuters. The new so-called "Resource Allocation Formula" - which has yet to be approved - would mean big increases in the number of police for Tower Hamlets. The borough of Westminster, which has high crime rates because of its transient population but scores highly on the affluency scale, would be the biggest loser with a "cut" of around 130 officers.

Lambeth and Southwark are also - surprisingly - scored to "lose" a handful of officers. Borough commanders for the areas which could lose officers are understood to be mounting a rearguard action to fight the proposals. The Met argues that because the total number of police officers across the force is rising, no borough need lose out on the actual number of officers. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin said: "We have tried to make this as fair and transparent as possible.

Of course no one formula can meet the diverse and complex demands of a city such as London, so there will always be some management discretion to deal with exemptions and unforeseen circumstances. "We want to see more police officers across London and the percentage of officers on boroughs will rise from 63 to 66 per cent next year."

They weren't allowed to throw confetti, didn't exchange rings and were limited to only 25 guests, but Tower Hamlets residents Carol Budd and Linda Wilkinson made history yesterday by becoming the first in Britain to formally register their union. The London Partnership Register, which is also open to heterosexual couples, was launched by Mayor Ken Livingstone, who hopes it will eventually lead to same-sex relationships being treated on a par with traditional marriages.

The registration doesn't confer any legal rights, but is the first civil recognition of a gay couple's commitment to one other. Most gay activists applauded the register as a big step for Britain, but complained that the country still lags behind its more liberal European neighbours. ``Well, this is a start, a tiny start, but it raises the issue,'' said Ian Burford, another gay man tying the knot yesterday.

Livingstone said it might help couples involved in legal disputes over issues such as tenancy, pensions and immigration rights - by providing government recognition of the relationship. But to have any legal force, the register would have to be endorsed by an act of Parliament. Jane Griffiths, a Labour Party lawmaker, plans to introduce legislation to the House of Commons next month that would allow people who register their partnerships to receive many of the same benefits as married couples. ``Making this change is not undermining marriage but reflecting how adults organize their lives,'' said Griffiths.

The register, which is only available to couples living in London, has attracted little protest. During last year's mayoral race every major candidate pledged to introduce such a register. Local governments in Liverpool, Manchester and Brighton are considering similar initiatives. ``By the end of the year, this will have become the norm,'' Livingstone predicted. U Denmark granted legal rights to gay couples in 1989, a move that was later followed by countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands.

Germany was the most recent, with dozens of couples registering their unions under legislation that allows same-sex couples to receive inheritance and health insurance rights given to married spouses. In Britain, it remains unclear how much support will be given to Griffith's bill, which is not being introduced with government backing. The Church of England is opposed to gay marriages, with Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey saying gay unions would ``muddy the waters'' of traditional marriage. Angela Mason of Stonewall, a gay rights advocacy group, said the London register was a welcome start, even if it was largely symbolic. ``This day is all about being included and recognized,'' she said. Couples will be charged £85 to be registered. Ceremonies can last up to a half-hour, and couples can make it as elaborate as they wish, except confetti is not allowed.

Linda Wilkinson and Carol Budd from Tower Hamlets will be the first same sex couples to register their relationships with the London Partnership Register. The registrations will take place on Wednesday 5 September in the Visitor's Centre at the Greater London Authority.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, who made the development of the London Partnerships Register a manifesto commitment, will attend the first registrations. He said: 'With the London Partnership Register the GLA is making the statement that same sex relationships should be treated on an equal par to heterosexual relationships. Our register will not confer the same rights as marriage, but I hope it will be accepted as additional evidence in any dispute or civil action that might arise over tenancy, pension or immigration rights.

Although our register is only a small step on the road to full equality, I would like it to act as a trigger for real change.' Carol Budd, originally from Australia, said: 'Had I not had right of abode in the UK when I came back in 1984, Linda and I would have had no avenues to pursue in order to stay together. We both consider sixteen years of a committed relationship every bit as valid as that of our heterosexual counterparts.

People say that laws in the UK must change in light of European legislation. In reality we all know that unless we work together for equality this will take a very long time to achieve.' The Greater London Authority is the first public body in the country to recognise same sex relationships as being on a par with heterosexual relationships. The scheme is open to eligible heterosexual and same sex couples and will be entirely self-financing, with couples paying a fee of £85.

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