RACIST comments on a social networking website have been labelled "chilling and threatening" by a racial equality council.

The BRING BACK THE OLD ELTHAM!! group, which has 95 members, suggests foreign immigrants should not get state benefits, and that if "we do not do something soon, and stand up for what is rightfully ours, Eltham aswell as the entire country, we will end up a third world country."

The web page's introduction claims Eltham "used to be a pleasant area.

"If you were to take a walk through the high street at any time, you would pass decent people, mostly white, with the odd Ethnic breaking through the boarders."

But it then goes on to rant: "In recent years our boarders have weakened, and a lot more of them are now in, and setting up home. Frightening, I know, but its the harsh reality."

One user, Terry Hayes, has left a comment saying: "eltham has changed for the worse there is now 4 familys ov em in our street it makes me sick."

Meanwhile the site's creator, Bob Hope No Hope, says: "we acually need to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT And if some of them do come here they should have rules to follow."

William Ekinu is the acting director of the independent community group, The Greenwich Council for Racial Equality.

He said: "This site is racist and sends a chill down my spine. Me and a lot of my colleagues live in Eltham and this sort of language is chilling and threatening.

"We believe that some of the comments in this site border on incitement to commit racially motivated crime."

He added: "We are sure the majority of people in Eltham, like those across the whole of UK, have come a long way in promoting racial harmony.

"The few people who are racist will be condemned and their actions reported to the police."

The site's creator was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

News Shopper reported the group to Greenwich police who are looking into the matter.

For more information on the Greenwich Council for Racial Equality, visit gcre.org.uk

Eltham Statistics

Population: 87,579

People born outside UK: 12.3 per cent

Black-African and Black-Caribbean: 5.8 per cent

Asian: 3.7 per cent

White population: 86.7 per cent