A FUND of £100,000 has been set-up to help support local mosques which have been forced to close due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Bradford Council for Mosques has created the "Mosque Support Fund" in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak has seen the suspension of congregational prayers and teachings across all mosques and Muslim supplementary faith schools in Bradford.

Many mosques are financially reliant on income from the teaching of children and donations from the community.

The initial fund is available for mosques within the Bradford District that are in hardship, to help with running and maintenance costs during the national lockdown.

It is capped at £1,000 per application.

President of the Bradford Council for Mosques, Zulfiqar Karim DL said: "Bradford Council for Mosques fully understands the gravity of the situation in which mosques currently find themselves, through no fault of their own.

"Safeguarding the future of our mosques and supporting our communities is our priority, and this fund will help to ensure that we are able to better recover from the COVID-19 crisis."

But, he admits there is still more to be done and is hoping to take the fund to £200,000 with the help of others.

He said: "I’m calling on charities and organisations across our region to join us as part of this scheme.

"Our aim is to double the amount of funding available through partners and other contributions, providing much-needed relief to our community during this unprecedented time."