A campaign has been launched in Oldham against the sentences handed out to people convicted of involvement in the town's race riots.

Eight people have so far been sentenced for their part in the May 2001 disturbances - most of them for three years or longer.

Eighty-two police officers were injured and damage costing hundreds of thousands of pounds was caused in the three nights of trouble.

But campaigners from the Oldham Law Centre said many of the sentences did not fit the crimes committed by those convicted.

Councillor Uddin supports his brother's sentence

Paul Johnson, from the Oldham Defence Campaign, said: "These sentences carry very heavy prison sentences.

"They are far harsher than the sentences that you would expect in the charges brought against, say, a soccer hooligan who goes out for no reason other than their own objective to cause violence."

The campaign follows a similar one launched in Bradford - which was also hit by race riots during the summer of 2001.

The first appeal against one of the sentences handed out after those disturbances will be heard next week.

But the Oldham campaign has not secured complete support from the town's Asian community.

Councillor Muhammad Mohib Uddin, whose brother Shofi was jailed for three years, said he thought the judge was correct.

He said: "I think we have got to abide by law and order in this country, otherwise, I think, there will be a failing.

"People must recognise that the judge is there to uphold the law and he has decided it is three years and, as far as I'm concerned, I'm quite happy about that."