KEY figures from the police, armed forces, politics and education joined a discussion about the importance of diversity in public services at Bradford College.

Chief Superintendent of West Yorkshire, Mabs Hussain, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davies of the British Army and Naz Shah, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Bradford West, were among the panel that spoke to students considering a career in the uniformed services.

Topics included the need for public services to have the trust and confidence of all communities and reflect the communities they serve.

Lenka Kaur, Inclusion and Diversity Coordinator at the College, said: “The event was to inspire and motivate our public services students and above all to empower them to make the right choices when it comes to career prospects.

“The event was very positive and highly inspirational and both the panel and students found it extremely useful. It was an amazing opportunity for our students to listen to and engage with such positive role models.”

Also on the panel was PC Amjad Ditta, a specialist firearms officer with West Yorkshire who is also the force's positive action co-ordinator with a brief to encourage under-represented groups to apply to join the service.

Representing the college were principal David Harwood and Nosheen Qamer who, as well as running the popular police camps during school holidays, also works as a special constable.

Major Lisa M Marr from the British Army also spoke, along with Nabila Ayub from Mosaic, a mentoring charity founded by The Prince of Wales, which helps young people from deprived communities to realise their talents and potential.