Papers consider Straw's veil view

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Jack Straw's revelation that he asks Muslim women to remove their veils when they come to his surgery dominates Friday's front pages.

Editorials in the Daily Mail, the Sun and the Daily Mirror are full of praise for the former foreign secretary.

"All credit to him", says the Mail, for discussing - in a calm and measured way - whether the veil reinforces barriers between communities.

The Sun believes his comments will help to strengthen race relations and the Mirror describes him as "tactful".

'Supine' police

Senior officers at Scotland Yard come in for criticism from the papers for their attitude towards race.

They are described as "supine" by the Daily Telegraph for allowing a Muslim officer to avoid guard duties at the Israeli embassy in London.

Ultra-sensitivity towards Muslims is warping the judgement of senior officers, the papers says.

The Guardian says such exceptions must be rare otherwise policing of embassies would become unworkable.

Stereotype warning

An "ethnic map" of Britain based on findings from the 2001 census draws comment in some of the papers.

The Independent features the map on its front page and highlights how certain groups cluster together.

In one London ward, black Africans make up 41% of the residents, yet in a neighbouring ward they account for 2%. The Times warns against stereotyping, saying that established immigrant communities from India, China and the Caribbean are spreading into suburbia.

Football evidence

Several papers feature the story of a grandmother who was arrested for apparently failing to return a football belonging to her neighbour.

The Mirror, Telegraph and Daily Express all carry the story of Angela Hickling, who had her photograph, fingerprints and DNA sample taken.

Derbyshire police searched her garden and every room in her house for the ball but failed to find it.They eventually dropped the case because of a lack of evidence.