FOLLOWING THE FAR-RIGHT FLIGHT PATH IN BRITAIN

MY recent experience of the supposedly defunct English Defence League (EDL) was a solitary white male draped in the flag of St George, the patron saint of England, who glowered at anti-racism demonstrators gathered in front of him in the Finchley suburb of North London.

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The EDL is one of several far-right Islamophobic groups blamed for instigating the recent wave of racist riots. Their single Finchley supporter who dared to show his face but refused to give his name was the only EDL activist prepared to show up for a planned march outside an asylum opened a short distance from where I live. Our neighbours are a mix of two other Indian families, several white English couples, a Brazilian, two Iranians and a black couple.

Last week, we emailed each other to steer clear of the planned EDL protest on August 7 that threatened a repeat of the UK-wide riots that erupted after an act of random violence in Southport where a 17year-old teenager was charged with stabbing three young girls and injuring several others at a holiday camp learning the dance routines of pop star Taylor Swift.

Our email exchanges highlighted typical local fears. "Please keep safe everyone", "I have no words", "Disgusting, sorry to see these people among us". Each responded to the shocking wave of mindless racist violence aimed at asylum-seekers, but also at blacks and Asians lumped together as 'Pakis' (Pakistanis). Shops were vandalised, cars and buildings set on fire and mosques surrounded by gangs chanting "we want our country back" in more than 20 cities across the UK.