Even as the Big Brother racism controversy involving Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty refuses to die down, Apache Indian, a UK-based singer of Indian origin said here yesterday that prejudice against non-whites has intensified in recent years.

Apache who's real name is Steven Kapoor, says rampant racism in UK has made him decide to return to his roots.

The singer whose mix of Indian folk and reggae music became a near sensation in 1995 with the mega-hit number "Arranged Marriage", says racist prejudice prevails everywhere - from schools to offices and in prisons as well.

"In the last 10 years, there's so much racism in the UK, it's absolutely unbelievable. Kids going to school, getting called by names such as 'Paki', this name and that name...it's disgusting, awful, absolutely... it makes my blood boil. But what can you do. It's freedom of speech. They are trying to tackle this problem in schools but it's a big problem. Racism within jobs, racism within prison, within everyday life things, which is creeping into more and more into people's mind because of terrorism, because of migration problems, work, because of things like that," says Apache.

Apache who is in Goa to perform in a concert, said that, "I have made a decision to leave. So I really think fight it if you can, you can't fight it with violence, you don't fight with the same racism, prejudice back. You have to fight as high as you can with your heart, your mind and your soul but when it starts beginning to go to a stage where it's dangerous, where people are getting targeted, your people are getting targeted.... The kind of problems they have with Muslims, they are talking about the dress they wear, everything they have picked on. Everything is a problem.

So the answer is leave. For me, just leave the country and let them find out how much work we have done to build those countries and without us, they'll really miss us."

Apache traces his roots to Jalandhar in Punjab.

Social issues find a place in most of Apache's songs, the lyrics for which he writes himself.

The Celebrity Big Brother series grabbed headlines in Britain and India last week after former dental nurse Jade Goody and other contestants ganged up on Shetty, calling her "the Indian" and "Poppadom".

--- ANI