Bradford's greatest Commonwealth Games hope has hit the city streets to spread a message of unity.

Zaf Shah, pictured, the first British-born athlete to represent Pakistan, took his place on a police patrol to help build bridges between the force and the city's Asian youth.

The 28-year-old will run in the 10,000 metre trials in the coming months and is looking for a place on the winner's rostrum at the games in Manchester this summer.

But Zaf believes spreading a positive message to Bradford's young would mean more to him than a medal.

He said: "My hope is that kids will look at what I'm doing and say 'I can do that' and get a bit of direction in their lives. If ten youngsters felt that I had made a difference in their lives, that would eclipse any gold medal."

He said: "I was so disappointed with the way our respectful community was put to shame during the riots.

"I want to show young people that the police are just like everyone else and also highlight the fact that not all Asian people are bad."

He is hoping that any medal success will help place Bradford on the map and attract Sports Council funding for the area.

"There are a lot of kids in places like Lidget Green, Ravenscliffe and Great Horton that have a lot of talent but no facilities to nurture it. They end up with nothing to do, feel like they have been neglected by society and then they can get into trouble."

He said: "I could have been one of those kids in the riots if I had made the wrong choices. I am from Bradford and from the streets but I have always tried focused on living my life the right way."

He added: "I am British through and through and I am Yorkshire born and bred. But I do have my Pakistani roots and embrace that culture too. To me it is a very positive thing."

Zaf, who works for Bradford Primary Care Trust as a prescribing support analyst, is training alongside Bradford light-welterweight boxer Junior Witter for his part in the Manchester 2002 games.

Chief Superintendent Phil Read, divisional commander of Bradford North Police, said he was delighted that Zaf was offering the police his support.

"Positive role models are needed in all communities and we hope Zaf will be able to spread the good word about the police and see first hand that my officers do work hard, sometimes in difficult circumstance, and do want to build relations within all of our communities," he said. "We wish him all the success in the Commonwealth Games and hope he will do Bradford proud."