The incredible story of a Huddersfield man who fled from persecution has been featured on national TV.

Daniel Habtey shared the tale of his journey to the UK from Eritrea with presenter Pam Rhodes on the Songs Of Praise screened yesterday teatime on BBC1.

Daniel, a member of the Elim Pentecostal Church, Huddersfield, was approached by the BBC programme to feature in the programme on Lent which looked at when people go through difficult times.

Pam interviewed Daniel, particularly focusing on his 15-day journey across the Sahara Desert back in 2002.

Fleeing from persecution for being a Christian from his native country of Eritrea, Daniel, his wife Senayit and six-month old daughter travelled for several months through Sudan, across the Sahara Desert to Libya and then on to Italy.

He had been a full time pastor in Eritrea, a position not recognised by the government, until he was taken against his will and put in a military camp. In 2002 all evangelical and pentecostal churches in Eritrea were closed down and Daniel, like many other Christians at the time and since, fled the country for safety.

Asked by Pam what Lent means to him, Daniel says it makes him think of “passing through difficult times, awaiting the Lord to fulfil His promises.”

Daniel has seen many people arrested and imprisoned for their faith and believes we should not forget others while going through our own difficult circumstances. After being arrested for 6 days in Libya, Daniel and his family travelled in a small boat with 71 other people to Lampedusa, Italy.

There was a pregnant woman on the boat and Daniel delivered her baby boy in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Daniel recently returned to Lampedusa when over 360 people were drowned in October 2013 while travelling from Libya via boat to Italy – the same journey that Daniel and his family had undertaken in 2002. He met with and comforted some of the 155 survivors and as well as relatives of those who lost their lives.

Daniel, who lives in Dalton with his wife and now 3 children, is studying for a Masters in Theology and works part-time for the Elim Pentecostal Church with the local Eritrean community.

Click here to take you back to more Huddersfield news.

To follow us on Twitter click here