A pioneering link between two distinctive schools has been heralded as a blueprint for future racial harmony.

The predominately Muslim Belle Vue Girls' School and Wibsey's primarily white St Paul's Church of England Primary have forged a friendship which cuts across religious, cultural and geographical divides.

The alliance was led by both schools' pupils, who pestered their teachers into organising joint events, following a chance meeting at an outward bound residential course at Ingleby Hall.

Yesterday, after their latest get-together, Councillor David Ward, Bradford Council's executive member for education, said it was exactly the kind of link-up he hoped to see occur across the city following the recommendations of the Lord Ouseley report.

He has proposed twinning ethnically different schools as a solution to some of Bradford's problems.

At the event, held at the Belle Vue School, the youngsters from St Paul's joined the girls for a curry-making session and for a pupils' presentation on Eid.

Hal Michaels, assistant head teacher of Belle Vue, said the project was about building bridges across the racial divide.

He said: "It helps the process of integration we need in Bradford to prevent the problems we saw last summer reoccurring.

"We started to link up two years ago, before the Ouseley report was released, but that has given it a new impetus."

Sally Cain, deputy head teacher of St Paul's, added: "This was born out of friendship. It just happens that our school is predominately white and theirs predominately Muslim.

"It has been wonderful but we are not setting ourselves up as something that other people should follow."

The pupils of both schools said they had enjoyed the meetings.

Ayesha Tabassun, 13, of Belle Vue, said: "It gives us a chance to mix with people from different back grounds. I think we are becoming more open minded than the older generations."

Hasine Hans, 12, also of the girl's school, said: "I think there are a lot of misunderstandings between white and Asian people. Now we understand that people can mix. It is also nice to have some boys in school for a change!"

St Paul's pupil Naomi Gray, 11, said: "We are learning that it doesn't matter what colour your skin is, it is what's inside that is important."

And Frances Carroll, 11, also a pupil at St Paul's, said: "We know much more about how the different group's live and we have all made a lot of friends."

Coun Ward said: "I congratulate both these schools on what they are doing. "It is exactly the sort of initiative we want to see."