Harrow's doomed racial equality body and Harrow Council have clashed over how to find the former's successor.

Last week, Harrow Council for Racial Equality's (HCRE) executive committee agreed to dissolve the charity and support the creation of a new body fulfilling the same function.

This followed a critical independent report into the organisation's financial affairs ordered by Harrow Council when it suspended HCRE'S £57,585 annual grant.

Asoke Dutta, HCRE chairman, said: "The committee agreed that the organisation be dissolved, subject to the following things: one, that we should have proper legal advice on the dissolution and transfer of staff to HAVS (Harrow Association of Voluntary Service).

"Two, we seek advice from the Charity Commission on where we stand financially with the accounts; and three, the transition board should start working straight away.

"We are quite sure that the transition board could be set up now, comprising (as recommended in the independent report) three members from the committee of HCRE and three members from Harrow Council, having the proper representation they seek.

"But instead of three and three, Councillor Chris Mote (Conservative), is suggesting three Conservative council members, one Labour and two HCRE members.

"We are not objecting to that composition, we're saying if you have more councillors then we should have a similar number from the voluntary sector.

"And Harrow Council is not without blemishes. Their own record on equal opportuntiies is not that great."

But Mr Mote, portfolio holder for community and cultural services, said: "In its resolution, the executive committee said it will only dissolve if we put three of their members on the interim body. That's a threat.

"It is politically weighed because we want to set up a body that meets our needs. This all started because HCRE had not returned their annual audit returns to us.

"I ordered a full investigation report and it showed HCRE was not being run as it should have been, and I want a totally fresh start."

In a separate development, Mr Dutta has written to Harrow Council to ask if it followed the Race Relations Act and conducted the legally necessary impact assessment, to review the possible consequences on the borough, before taking its decision to suspend HCRE's grant.