YORK would appear to have a race relations problem out of all proportions with its small ethnic population. Police say that in the last year there have been 54 recorded incidents of racial crime or harassment in the city.

Those are just the incidents serious enough to have been reported. How many more have gone unrecorded because they were not considered severe enough to register an official complaint; or because there was no faith in the authorities' commitment to deal with them? How many taunts, threats or downright abusive remarks have been reluctantly swallowed with a fatalistic shrug?

What is surprising is that the situation is deteriorating in a cosmopolitan, tourist city in which xenophobia should have no place.

Millions of visitors a year from almost every country in the world help boost York's income and keep unemployment low. The city depends on foreigners, yet there have been a number of recent attacks on foreign tourists.

The heart of the problem, though, seems to be attacks against local people who are different by virtue of race, creed or colour.

Because of York's relatively small ethnic population, and the fact that the problem has not been considered prevalent until now, the city is not geared up to deal with racist attacks and harassment.

So the setting up of a task force comprising police, council and racial equality workers is to be welcomed, albeit reluctantly.

This task force will ensure all reported race crimes are given special attention and will offer support, help and reassurance to victims.

It is to be hoped that education will also be a priority because racial attacks are most certainly born out of sheer ignorance and blind prejudice.