A BRADFORD charity boss, who campaigns for victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), has called for more money to be spent on supporting them.

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson, will be hosting a conference in Bradford next week, bringing together agencies from across West Yorkshire for the first time to debate the issue.

But Yemi Fagborun, head of the West Bowling-based Peacemaker International charity, which supports women who have survived domestic abuse and forced marriages, says it is time for the talking to stop.

Mrs Fagborun said: "We want action, not talk. What we haven't seen in Bradford, or West Yorkshire, is action. By that I mean proper funding.

"We need a commitment to put money into the issue.

"FGM is very difficult for survivors, and the community, to talk about. Survivors don't want to talk about it because there is no specialist support. Money needs to be spent on support workers in specialist centres, like there are for domestic violence."

But Mr Burns-Williamson pointed out that £30,000 had already been given to groups working on FGM issues.

Representatives from the NHS, councils, hospitals, Victims Support, women's centres and community organisations from across the county will attend the event, next Wednesday, at the Thornbury Centre, in Leeds Old Road, Thornbury.

But Mrs Fagborun said she would not be attending.

"It's better for me to spend the time supporting the vulnerable people we are working with," she said.

But Mr Burns-Williamson said: “The FGM conference being held in Bradford next week is completely focused on the victim and how we can all work together to help and support victims of FGM.

“I want to work with partners and community leaders to educate and raise awareness as well as identifying any gaps in the service we currently provide.

“I have already provided support to various projects through my Safer Communities Fund, which uses money seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act – I have given more than £30,000 to groups whose work is related to FGM since the Fund began a year and a half ago.

“I have also previously supported city-wide conferences organised by partners in Leeds and Bradford, but this is the first time that statutory and community partners from across West Yorkshire will come together to talk to me about how we can improve, how we work to prevent FGM and support the victims. This conference, which will look at education and awareness, working together across all sectors and prevention, will most importantly ensure that the victim is at the heart of what we do."