FORMER England cricketer Owais Shah visited local teenagers recently to talk about racism.

About 15 young people attended the "Show Racism the Red Card" seminar held by HAAYA (the Hounslow Asian and African Youth Association), in partnership with the Youth Offending Service at The Attic, Connexions, in Hounslow.

Mr Shah, who was born in Pakistan, said he had never experienced racism from other cricketers, but had experienced racist bullying at school and jeers from cricket spectators.

"Often racism can be just below the surface and it's similar to bullying," Mr Shah, a former Lampton School student, said.

"As a young kid it affects your whole life.

"You just have to get on with it and have confidence in yourself."

Mr Shah, 25, said he had experienced many jeers from the crowd when he played his second game for England against Pakistan at Lords.

"You just take it in your stride and don't really let things like that affect you," he said.

"There's always something beyond the colour and it's important to get on with people."

Signed by Middlesex when he was only 15 years old, Mr Shah is now the team's vice-captain and has an opportunity to become captain next year.

"I started my game in a country and club that was dominated by white people, but it didn't affect me or stop me from getting opportunities," he said.

"I personally feel that if you are confident enough in yourself, it doesn't matter what the colour of your skin is."

He said he had worked hard to build his career and hoped to play again for England in the future.

"Being signed at 15 was like a dream come true and it went on from there," Mr Shah told the Times.