THE BISHOP of Wakefield says he is "profoundly distressed and appalled" by the recent murder of taxi driver Mohammad Parvaiz in Golcar.

The Rt Rev Stephen Platten visited the family to express his condolences yesterday

after sending prayers to a local interfaith vigil at Golcar on Saturday night, attended by hundreds of people from a grieving community.

He also sent prayers for an Interfaith walk of friendship on Saturday.

The bishop is concerned the murder should not damage the "ever-deepening friendship and dialogue" between Muslims and Christians in Huddersfield and elsewhere in West Yorkshire.

Members of all faiths and backgrounds were united at St John's Church in Golcar in a huge outpouring of public emotion.

The father of three from Birkby was killed on Saturday July 22 at Field Head.

Local religious leaders invited people in to light a candle, reflect, pray, and sign a book of condolence.

Canon Martyn Crompton, vicar of St John's Golcar, said yesterday: "You can see from the pictures people were queuing to sign the book of condolences and these queues went on until well after 10 o'clock and we have had people coming back this morning that either queued and had to leave before they got to the point of signing or couldn't come last night.

"We felt as Christian ministers together we had to provide a space really for people to come and respond in the way that they find appropriate and that would be most helpful to them.

"When people started arriving it was just amazing and deeply moving.

"It's a community grieving and trying to understand the shock and the horror of it.

"At the beginning of the service we lit two candles and the first candle was a symbol of the evil that caused Mr Parvaiz's death and that was an invitation for people to focus their thoughts and their prayers for his family in their loss."

He said the second candle represented God's love.

During the evening several local councillors spoke as did leaders from other churches.

Members of Mr Parvaiz's family attended and some addressed the people present.

A letter was read out from Imam Mulana Imran Hussain from the Noor Mosque at Thornton Lodge.

The Rev Mark Umpleby, whose North Huddersfield parish includes Birkby, where Mr Parvaiz lived, said:

"I have never experienced a community of the various people of Huddersfield coming together in this way."