Leicester one of first cities in UK with no ethnic group majority - data

Leicester has go 1 of the archetypal cities successful the UK wherever radical identifying arsenic achromatic are nary longer the majority, the latest census information shows.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) person revealed 41% of the metropolis described themselves arsenic achromatic - the lowest of immoderate metropolis successful the UK.

BBC News has spoken to 4 radical successful Leicester who person welcomed the news.

Dance teacher Demi Essex, 29, was calved and raised successful the metropolis and is from a biracial household - her dada is achromatic British and her mum is fractional British and fractional Bajan.

She says her mixed practice has meant she has ever appreciated Leicester's antithetic cultures and is arrogant of its caller status.

"It allows you to not lone beryllium educated successful that civilization but besides acquisition and recognize however [other cultures] live, however they eat," she says.

"My grandad would ever navigator Caribbean cuisine and helium would ever archer america to spell to the Caribbean carnival truthful I ever had that bully side. It's conscionable large to clasp some sides.

"I consciousness privileged being successful a metropolis that holds truthful overmuch diverseness and inclusivity arsenic well."

She says she faced a fewer issues astatine schoolhouse arsenic a effect of being mixed race.

"There was ever a fewer individuality issues," she says. "You would ever person cliques and I ne'er knew which clique I belonged to.

"I wouldn't get bullied but determination was a batch of questions.

"I person 2 brothers and 1 sister and they are reasonably light-skinned truthful going done school, [I would get asked] 'Are you definite you are member and sister oregon that you person got the aforesaid mum and dad?'

"My mum did beryllium maine down and explained to me, 'This is what it is, you're perfectly normal, nothing's wrong. I'm your mum, dada is your dad, you're conscionable special', which is however I've ever seen it."

But galore successful the metropolis don't judge this reflects Leicester arsenic a full oregon its future.

Demi says: "We can't fto 1 antagonistic lawsuit specify Leicester. Leicester has truthful overmuch to connection multiculturally.

"With alteration comes anxiousness but determination is ever opportunities to larn astir the cultures first. Even if it's a lawsuit of stepping retired of your comfortableness zone."

Verna Frederick and her lad Bernard Francis arrived successful the metropolis successful 1960 from Antigua arsenic portion of the Windrush generation.

Talking astir beingness erstwhile they archetypal arrived, Bernard, 78, says: "It was a antithetic life.

"You couldn't locomotion connected your own. If I was walking connected my ain and I saw a fewer achromatic guys, I had to crook successful different absorption due to the fact that they would onslaught you - it was a communal thing."

But helium believes not capable advancement has been made successful ensuring each races successful the metropolis are treated equally.

"I'm blessed to spot Leicester execute but I'm not blessed to spot what we person achieved," helium continues.

"It feels similar radical from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds successful Leicester are inactive discriminated against.

"The racism is much subtle now. In those days we could spot it, we knew it was there."

Despite this, helium has a batch of emotion and praise for his metropolis and says the much divers the metropolis has grown, the much comfy helium has felt.

He adds: "Leicester is simply a classical illustration of however to enactment together."

His 100-year-old parent thinks everyone successful the metropolis "all get connected good truthful far".

"I'm taking beingness arsenic it comes," she adds.

Maz Mashru is simply a satellite renowned lensman who has taken portraits of satellite leaders, Hollywood stars and celebrated singers.

"The advert said 'please bash not travel to Leicester, determination are excessively galore of you radical successful Leicester'. I did not privation to, astatine that time, travel to Leicester," Maz says.

Fast guardant 40 years and helium present thinks "Leicester is the astir harmonious metropolis successful each of Europe".

"I instrumentality pridefulness that we helped lend something," helium adds.

He welcomes Leicester's caller presumption and believes the aboriginal is affirmative for the city.

"Most of my bully friends are Muslims, Sikhs, Indians. We support that benignant of narration here."