The former bus conductor told police he was pushed down after he refused to

The former bus conductor told police he was pushed down after he refused to answer and kicked in the face before being hit with his coffee flask as one attacker said: "This is our area, get out."Racial rivalry in the Greater Manchester town ­ after a record 572 racially motivated incidents were reported last year ­ came to a head last week when a group of Asian youths claimed there were "no-go" zones for whites. The assault on Mr Chamberlain in the Westwood area was one of three racially motivated attacks last weekend in Oldham, which has a substantial Bangladeshi and Pakistani population.But as a concerted effort was launched to underline cross-community anger at Saturday's attack, the town's senior police officer insisted that no-go areas were a myth. Chief Superintendent Eric Hewitt said: "The whole community of Oldham is outraged by this, whether Asian or white. We are used to a rising trend in racial violence but last weekend was horrendous."It will be counted as one of our bad weekends .. but the vast majority of Asian and white youths get on.

None of my officers has seen graffiti or signs saying 'whites out'."Despite 60 per cent of the victims of last year's 572 racially motivated incidents being white, the police stressed that Asian youths were not the sole perpetrators. A police spokeswoman said: "We are not talking about uniquely anti-white attacks or a situation where only Asians are the attackers. All ethnic groups are victims."The £13,650 reward for the arrest of Mr Chamberlain's attackers includes £10,000 from the Police Authority, £3,000 from a local firm and £600 from two Asian businessmen, including £150 from a taxi driver. Councillor Abdul Jabbar, a leading figure in Oldham's Asian community, said: "These people are giving our community a bad name and I, like many others, resent it. I urge anyone who can help the police to do so."Shahedul Alam, a community worker, said: "Elders in the community feel they have failed the next generation with high unemployment, and the youth say they feel they have been left to stand alone. Violence fills the void."The BNP said it would field two candidates in the elections.

Mr Griffin, 42, who was convicted of inciting racial hatred two years ago, may also stand for the Oldham West and Royton parliamentary seat.. Young people living in high-crime areas could be "rewarded" with vouchers to spend on clothes, music, travel or computer equipment if they keep out of trouble, Tony Blair announced yesterday. Young people living in high-crime areas could be "rewarded" with vouchers to spend on clothes, music, travel or computer equipment if they keep out of trouble, Tony Blair announced yesterday.Downing Street denied that the scheme would apply to youngsters who had been convicted of an offence. Instead, it would focus on those aged 13 to 16 identified as being "at risk" of offending. Officials said the vouchers would reward sustained good behaviour ­ not simply turning up at school.The plan was condemned as a "youth bribe" by the Tories who accused Mr Blair of repeating the fiasco over his proposal for drunken hooligans to be marched to cashpoints to pay spot fines, abandoned after opposition from the police. Archie Norman, the Tories' Environment spokesman, said: "People in the inner cities will be outraged by young thugs being rewarded for doing what they should be doing anyway."The spat overshadowed a speech in which Mr Blair mapped out plans to tackle the so-called yob culture in many of Britain's run-down areas.