Former hostage Terry Waite visited Bradford today, as a major project to turn an empty church into a community for the homeless threw open its doors.

Mr Waite, now president of the charity Emmaus UK, visited St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in East Parade as guest of honour at a special open evening.

Visitors to the iconic building were able to find out about restoration plans for the church, including how it is being turned into accommodation and a workshop for homeless people, as well as a heritage area preserving the building’s past.

The charity already has 24 commune-style centres around Britain with others, including the Bradford community, in the pipeline.

Mr Waite said: “One of the problems that face many homeless people is trying to get back into normal life after being homeless and often on the streets for a long time.

“But trying to find employment, trying to find a place that is a drug-free, safe environment is very, very difficult indeed.”

He said at the Emmaus communities, drugs and alcohol were banned.

Residents, called ‘companions’, had to sign off benefits and work on renovating and re-selling furniture to support the community.

Mr Waite said: “This building is also going to be a heritage centre so it can maintain something of this heritage that is part of Bradford.”

Mr Waite, who is Emmaus UK’s president, last visited Bradford to talk about the project in 2011 at a fundraising dinner where he helped make £4,000 towards it.

Then, he revealed how his time as a hostage in Beirut had taught him to relate to the anxieties of being homeless.

The 135-year-old St Mary's Church was given to the non-religious charity by Leeds Roman Catholic Diocese but was estimated to need about £2.3 million to develop it.

Project director Juli Thompson said the development, which has started and will create up to six jobs and 16 apprenticeships, would still need a further £1 million in funding.

Terry Waite travelled to Beirut in January 1987 as an envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury to try to negotiate the release of Western hostages. He was kidnapped by Hezbollah, who accused him of being a CIA agent and was held for 1,760 days.

Mr Waite was released in November, 1991.