'Poverty not race key to local opinion'

Poverty and deprivation are greater influences on how people perceive their neighbourhood than ethnic diversity, researchers have said.

The study by the universities of Portsmouth and Southampton examined whether a high mix of ethnic groups lowered residents' opinion of the neighbourhood.

But after studying 36,000 people, the researchers found that other factors such as anti-social behaviour were more likely to influence people.

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Dr Liz Twigg, principal lecturer at the University of Portsmouth who led the research, said the study showed that the degree of ethnic diversity had little or no effect.

She claimed that this challenged the view that mixed neighbourhoods had a negative effect on social cohesion.

She said: "It has been suggested that diverse communities are less cohesive and therefore suffer from problems associated with anti-social behaviour, crime and lack of trust."