Police in Wakefield have been given an insight into the Islamic faith after a series of training sessions at a local mosque.

Officers from Wakefield Division have attended one of six sessions being held at the Sawafiyyah Jamia mosque, Wakefield, to increase understanding of the Islamic faith as well as forging local contacts.

The officers were given an insight into Islam as well as a tour of the mosque and information about its role in the community.

PC Richard Marsh, Wakefield District Police Community Engagement Officer, said: “The aim of the training is to equip officers with a basic understanding of Islam and how we interact with our communities. It is a tailor-made training package for the police and will explain areas of the Muslim culture and religion in a way that will be useful in day to day policing.

“The police are about more than just enforcement – we need to engage fully with our communities. I feel this kind of training will go a long way in building relations with the minority ethnic population in Wakefield and show a true desire to become an effective and integral part of the communities we work in.”

Chief Superintendent Andy Battle, Divisional Commander for Wakefield police said:“These training sessions have many benefits for the police, our partners and the local Muslim community. They give the opportunity for all staff and not just our Neighbourhood Policing Teams to gain a valuable insight around the faith of Islam. In addition we will be able to show how we engage with all our communities through our neighbourhood style approach to policing.”

West Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns Williamson writes an open letter to the Home Secretary on funding towards Policing for West Yorkshire. What are your thoughts readers?

Pakistani tourists and business travellers will soon be able to visit India without many of the restrictions placed upon them in recent years.

The easing of the restrictions comes as Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s interior minister, visits New Delhi to ratify a new visa agreement between the two countries.

Malik’s three-day trip – his first official visit to India – is aimed at boosting trade and business relations between the South Asian rivals, and heralds the most significant changes to visa rules since 1974.

Tourists will now be allowed to visit five cities in India, instead of being restricted to three, as in previous years. Business travellers will be allowed to visit between five and 10 cities, depending on their business revenue.

Elderly visitors, traders and young children will also be exempted from reporting to police stations during their trip.

Flights between Islamabad and New Delhi are to be resumed, as are ferry services between Karachi and Mumbai – the Indian financial capital hit by the 2008 massacre in which 166 people were killed by Pakistani gunmen reported to be members of Lashkar-e-Taiba – designated as a “terrorist” group by several nations.

If you are a British Pakistani and have experienced problems obtaining a Visa for India, then we want to hear from you. Get in touch newsdesk@asiansunday.co.uk

Private sector job gains outstrip loss of public sector posts

An extra 627,000 people are working in the private sector compared to a year ago – significantly outstripping a 128,000 drop in public sector jobs, according to official statistics published today.

For the third successive month the figures also showed a fall in youth unemployment. Excluding full-time students, there are 626,000 unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds, the lowest figure since early 2009.

Long-term unemployment has also fallen, with the number of people out of work for more than six months down by 62,000 and the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance for more than six months also down.

Minister for Employment Mark Hoban welcomed the figures from the Office for National Statistics which also show:

• Unemployment fell by 82,000 over the past quarter.
• The number of people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance fell by 3,000 in the last month.
• There are 44,000 more people in full-time work over the quarter.

Read more in the next edition of Asian Sunday out 16 December 2012

Drivers in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber are being advised by the Highways Agency to check weather and traffic conditions before setting out on journeys overnight with a forecast of snow in some areas.
The Highways Agency, which operates motorways and key trunk roads in the region, is being advised by the Met Office that up to two inches of snow could fall overnight and throughout tomorrow morning north of Newcastle in Northumberland – potentially affecting the A1.

Eastern parts of North Yorkshire could be similarly affected with a possible impact on the A64 and A19.

Chris Holehouse, Highways Agency Asset Delivery Manager for the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, said:

“We are not anticipating any particular problems and will be monitoring and using salt to treat the network as we do routinely at this time of the year. However, snow showers can be highly localised and hard to predict so drivers have a key role to play in checking weather reports and planning for their journeys before leaving home.”

Highways Agency traffic officers at the North East regional control centre at Calder Park near Wakefield will be monitoring the motorway network and where possible setting signs giving advice to drivers.

On-road traffic officers will be on standby to respond quickly to any incidents with the Highways Agency’s contractors and vehicle removal service also on alert.

Drivers should check their local media for updated weather and travel advice before setting out on journeys. If they are travelling they should keep up to date with weather and travel advice, heed warnings and electronic message signs and drive to conditions – leaving extra time for journeys and extra room for braking and avoiding sudden manoeuvres such as braking or changing lanes suddenly.

Information about a winter driving kit and other advice to help motorists be prepared for winter is on the Highways Agency website at www.highways.gov.uk/winter

Up-to-date information on road conditions on England’s motorways and trunk roads is available on the Highways Agency website at www.highways.gov.uk/traffic or by calling the Highways Agency Information Line at 0300 123 5000.

Traffic information is available on Twitter by following @HAtraffic_neast and @HAtraffic_yorks, with winter driving information on @winterhighways and on Facebook (facebook.com/winterhighways