Locals defend Sparkhill after MP Paul Scully's no-go area remarks

Mohammed Rehman has lived in Sparkhill for 42 years

Residents of a neighbourhood labelled as a "no-go area" by Conservative MP Paul Scully have invited him for a tour of its famous Balti Triangle.

He made the comment in radio and TV interviews on Monday, prompting accusations of Islamophobia and a rebuke from the prime minister.

The remarks sparked fury among Birmingham's Sparkhill community, which is famed for its array of South Asian shops and restaurants.

Mr Scully has since apologised.

The area is well-known for its array of vibrant and colourful shops

Referring to the inner city area and Tower Hamlets in London, he told BBC London on Monday that "for years" people have been "concerned" about their "neighbourhoods changing".

The following day he said he was "frustrated in the language" he used and lost "nuance" in the issues he wanted to get across.

After hearing the comments, taxi driver Mohammed Rehman rushed to share his pride in the Sparkhill ward and offer a tour to a BBC Radio WM reporter.

Having lived there for 42 years, he said the area's "mixed cultures" were what made it so special.

After hearing the comments, members of the community rushed to defend the area

"Sparkhill has mixed cultures and everybody minds their own business, there is no trouble there," the taxi driver and chef said.

"I have grown up in this area and never had any problems.

"He needs to come and have a look and go to Ladypool Road where all the balti places used to be, it's very famous."

"We're in England, not a third-world country, you don't need security or anything, just pop down," he said.

Located about 20 minutes from Birmingham city centre, Sparkhill has been praised for its diverse neighbourhoods

Birmingham in the late 1970s is the birthplace of the balti dish and Sparkhill is the home of the famous Balti Triangle due to the large number of restaurants.

Jess Phillips, a Birmingham Labour MP, also extended an invitation to Mr Scully to experience the shopping and array of cuisines offered in the area.

Reacting to the comments, she said: "I'm angry that politicians can so easily, even if mistakenly, fall into what are essentially conspiracy theories and not think about the hate that it brings on people and places.

Birmingham Labour MP Jess Phillips also invited Mr Scully to try Sparkhill's shops and restaurants

"The idea that somebody wouldn't be welcome in Sparkhill is just not my experience at all, as somebody who lived there, the community is like every community, kind, friendly, some people less so than others, just like everywhere else."

Speaking at a Birmingham City Council meeting, Labour councillor Nicky Brennan, who represents Sparkhill, described the comments as "offensive", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"It's important to talk about how we often very warmly speak about how diversity in Birmingham is our strength," she said.

"I'm privileged to represent one of the most diverse wards in our city and probably in our country, which hit the headlines today for all the wrong reasons, having horrible comments made about it which were totally disrespectful, offensive and dangerous."