YOUTH groups have a vital role to play in preventing the rise of extremism in the borough, Hounslow's council leader said this week.

Speaking ahead of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, councillor Jagdish Sharma told the Chronicle it was important people from all backgrounds were encouraged to mix from a young age.

The impact of the attack on New York's Twin Towers, in which nearly 3,000 people died, was felt around the globe.

In Hounslow, it raised fears of revenge attacks on Muslim groups in the borough, which thankfully never materialised.

Mohamed Raissi was arrested at his home in Heston on suspicion of terrorism in a dawn raid on September 21, 2001.

The father-of-one, then 29, was held for nearly two days before being released without charge. He successfully sued the Met Police for false arrest and is understood to have received a six-figure sum.

However, when 21-year-old former Cranford Community College student Asif Hanif became the first foreign suicide bomber in Israel two years later in May 2003, it raised new fears the borough had become a breeding ground for terrorists.

Zeeshan Siddiqui, who also grew up in Hounslow and studied at Cranford Community College, was arrested in May 2005 on suspicion of terrorism.

The former Tube worker, who claims he was tortured while being held in Pakistan, escaped from Isleworth's Lakeside mental health unit in 2006 while under a control order and has not been seen since.

These incidents sparked a council review of community relations in the borough, titled 'A Window on Extremism', which was published in 2006.

The study highlighted the importance of engaging and gaining the trust of 'disengaged groups', members of which could fall prey to extremism - be that far right or religious.

Hounslow and surrounding boroughs received £600,000 of government funding under the banner of 'Preventing Violent Extremism', with the money spent on everything from leadership training for young people to arts and sports sessions.

However, the new government scrapped the nationwide scheme last year amid concerns it was doing more to divide than unite communities.

Mr Sharma this week told the Chronicle: "The September 11 attacks were an unforgettable tragedy, which was unprecedented in history.

"I think Hounslow took the necessary steps to address the threat of terrorism after those attacks.

"Some misguided people are influenced by bigots and it's important to educate them that it (extremism) is not good for them, their family, their community or their country.

"There should be opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to get together and engage with each other, whether that be through sport or some other form. It's important young people don't feel the community doesn't care about them.

"Things like youth clubs and youth activities are important, whether they're provided by the council or by voluntary groups."

Chronicle historian Eddie Menday visited the viewing platform at the top of the south tower during a trip to New York in spring 2000, adding to the poignancy of the following year's events for him.

"I was absolutely horror struck when I saw the towers falling on TV on September 11," he said.

"My first thought was 'I hope they haven't opened the viewing gallery', because it would have been absolutely horrific for anyone there when the planes struck.

"It was hard to believe I'd been up there just a little over a year ago and it's impossible to imagine what must have been going through the minds of those people stuck inside."

Mr Menday will recall in detail the events of September 11, 2001, in his 'Looking Back' column in next week's Chronicle.