A PETITION has been submitted to the Prime Minister to halt funding cuts to East London’s Tower Hamlets College. Half of the language courses in English for adult speakers of other languages could be scrapped, with staff facing redundancies at the college in Poplar, because Whitehall’s Learning and Skills Council has reduced funding

By Gemma Collins

A PETITION has been submitted to Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling on him to halt funding cuts to East London's Tower Hamlets College.

Half of the language courses in English for adult speakers of other languages could be scrapped, with staff facing redundancies at the college in Poplar, because Whitehall's Learning and Skills Council has reduced funding.

Labour's Parliamentary candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow, Rushanara Ali, submitted the petition which can be signed online on the Downing Street website

English is not the first language for a large proportion of residents "in such a diverse community as Tower Hamlets," the petition states. The courses are "vital for people of all ages" as learning English allows them to progress in work and education and to participate more fully in the community.