A flag dedicated to the unheard voices of the first and second world war is now flying above Centenary Square in a call from the Lord Mayor of Bradford to be "people together".

The 'Remember Us' ceremony is part of district-wide celebrations for Armed Forces Week, marking the sacrifice of all veterans and especially those from the BAME community.

Lord Mayor Doreen Lee (Lab, Keighley East) spoke in front of a collective of veterans, relatives of soldiers and religious figures alongside the armed force's reverend canon, Paul Maybury.

She said: "This flag-raising ceremony is an opportunity for us to take some time out away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, allowing us the time to pause and reflect on what serving or having served in the Armed Forces means to us.

"For each of us it will mean something different. But, however different our reflections are, we all recognise their sense of duty and unflinching dedication, their courage and heroism, risking their lives and their wellbeing so that others may live in peace and without the threat of conflict.

"They are honourable and we honour them."

And for many it was an important time to see their families finally remembered as part of the city's history. Mohammad Farooq came along to the ceremony with community group, Frizinghall Walk.

He said: "Peace. That’s what it reflects because most people don’t think that the communities that were living here put anything in this country.

"My father served, he was caught in Japan as a prisoner of war.

"We are Bradford. I’ve been here 55 years and when we were kids we didn’t know. Our youths don’t even know."

Sharing stories of the past is a sentiment shared by the Lord Mayor - she hopes the flag will encourage youths to ask questions about how their relatives helped the war effort.

She said: "It will teach the youngsters walking through the city to look up and think 'Wow, that could be my granddad, my uncle, my next door neighbour'. They helped, they did it.

"We have an awful lot of underrepresented people that fought on our side now living here - and made this district the lovely place it is and given it that wide variety.

"I love this district, Bradford, Keighley - I love the whole district because they’re all people together. That’s what we have to be: people together.

"We would not be here today in the world that we’re in if it hadn’t have been for the men and women who fought in the war.

"We all owe a great debt to the men and women who fought, in both wars and the wars that have followed. Anybody that defends our country and its rights has got my upmost admiration. It’s not an easy job, it’s something that these men and women do with pride."

Ex RAF member Naz Hussain, who helped organise the day as part of Project Impact, said: "There’s a lot of misunderstanding between communities because of what’s in the media.

"We are wanting to bring communities together, counter extremist narratives."

Ali Omar, the first commissioned Imam to the armed forces, explained the importance of Muslim representation in jobs that contribute to society, avoiding negative stereotypes.

"They’ve come here to make a contribution," he said.

When talking about the flag, he said: "It means to bring together and show how it’s connected to the second world war.

Retired colonel Sher Aslam told the Telegraph and Argus: "The event is to raise awareness of the contribution of Muslims to the armed forces.

"We should never forget the contribution of people, elders, to make Britain what it is today."