THOUSANDS of people have taken part in Worcester’s first interfaith week.

Yesterday, the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr John Inge, was at the Worcester Mosque in Tallow Hill in the company of Mullah Hafeezud Din, head Imam.

The goodwill visit marked the end of Worcester’s hugely successful Interfaith Week, which aimed to strengthen relations between relgious denominations.

It also hoped to encourage local faith groups and communities to reach out to each other and build stronger bonds of understanding and cooperation.

Schoolchildren took part in assemblies about faith, Worcester City Council met with faith leaders to discuss where religion will fit into planned expansion of the city and Mullah Din paid a visit to Worcester Cathedral.

The Revd Duncan Ballard, vicar of St Mark’s in Cherry Orchard, Worcester, was one of the organisers of the new project.

He said: “We often hear about these government initiatives and think, ‘Oh, not again’, but this has been brilliant.” Mr Ballard handed out 60 disposable cameras to local schoolchildren and asked them take photographs of the places where they find God.

He said: “The photos have started to come back and they are fantastic. We had a picture of cobwebs, the inside of a church and a scene from the top of the Malvern Hills.”

For further information about the national scheme, log on to interfaithweek.org or e-mail enquiries@inter faithweek.org.uk.