THERE is no limit to the lengths some local authorities will go to in the worthy aim of training staff in how to deal with and understand the cultures of ethnic minorities in their midst.

Nottingham, whose population of 235,000 is thought to be include only 6 per cent of people from ethnic minorities, has spent £600 sending more than 100 of its frontline staff to basic group lessons in belly dancing.

Council chiefs claimed that the lessons were part of a drive to improve customer service, and were included in a two-week session of classes and workshops aimed at exploding the “myths and misconceptions” of belly dancing. The classes took place during working hours, and staff were advised to wear loose and comfortable clothing.

News of the classes was disclosed yesterday by the opposition Conservative group of the city council, and immediately gave rise to disturbing visions of burly dustmen wiggling their beer bellies as they emptied the bins.

Georgina Culley, the leader of the Conservative group, said: “I support the need to have a well-trained workforce, but I fail to see how teaching council staff to belly dance will help them to provide better services. Is it any wonder, when time and money are used on this sort of thing, that we have dirty streets and cuts in care for the elderly?”

A spokeswoman for the Labour-controlled council said: “The aim was to raise cultural awareness of groups of people living in the city, specifically Middle Eastern and northern Indian. The dance sessions also contributed to the city council’s aim of encouraging a healthy workforce.”

The dance classes were one element of “customer and diversity” sessions arranged by the council to increase staff awareness of equality legislation and to “challenge and stimulate staff to reflect on attitudes, behaviours and prejudices”. Other, less physical, sessions included studies on customer care, dealing with difficult people and equality and the disabled customer.

About 6.5 per cent of the population of the East Midlands is identified as belonging to ethnic minorities, with the largest concentration in Leicester where one quarter of the city’s population is Indian. Nottingham has a significant Pakistani community.

Belly dancing is popular in Nottingham and is a regular floor show at many of the city’s Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern restaurants. Its supporters claim that its basic movements of belly roll and pelvic rocking, two of many actions aimed at muscle isolation, are beneficial in improving stamina, strengthening abdominal and back muscles, easing joints, improving circulation, relieving arthritic pain and banishing the pains of childbirth.

Another claimed benefit is that, unlike classical ballet, belly dancing can be performed by persons of a wide range of age and shape.

Nottingham may not be as up-to-date and politically correct as it thinks. When the Hamas Palestinian Government assumed power two months ago Atallah Abu al-Subbah, the new Culture Minister, condemned belly dancing as a form of striptease and, like many clerics in the Muslim world, considered banning it as a form of pornography.

Any Nottingham council tax payer who catches the dustman at it may well be inclined to agree.

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