FEW people have drawn as much praise from their peers as Waqar Azmi did when he said goodbye to the Faithful City last night. But, then, few people have deserved it more.

The Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev Dr Peter Selby, highlighted the Worcestershire Racial Equality Council chief executive's "respect and firmness" in advancing racial equality throughout the county.

Councillor Nurul Haque recalled how he'd learnt from Mr Azmi that education and understanding came before action.

The list of well-wishers expressing gratitude on behalf of the community was long.

What we've learnt from the WREC, during the six years he's spent here, is that the county can have confidence in what it sees happening in the name of racial harmony.

He has been its finest advocate, and the results of his hard work are no illusion.

Over the years, among many issues, we've been moved to write about the city's response to two threatened National Front marches, we've embraced Stanley Road Primary School's Funpac event, and we've welcomed the Mela Festival too.

If these are bricks in the walls of our multi-cultural city, then Mr Azmi and his staff have been quietly and methodically underpinning the foundations.

Typically, he used his leaving address to sound a simple warning that the growth in WREC's funding must be maintained if the good work is to continue.

As Coun Dan Wicksteed so rightly said, we owe it to his contribution, and to ourselves, to make sure that happens.

Thank you, Waqar Azmi. And good luck.