Civil rights activists, lawyers and academics were in Bradford for a conference on racial equality.

Delegates at today's event, run by anti-racism charity The Monitoring Group, included civil rights lawyer Michael Mansfield.

The event also included Max Farrar, of Leeds University, human rights lawyer Imran Khan and Khalida Ashrafi, regional manager for the Yorkshire and Humber Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The conference at the Hilton Hotel was run by the organisation’s Bradford-based West Yorkshire Civil Rights Project, which works with young people in the region to tackle racism and exclusion.

Suresh Grover, director of The Monitoring Group, which was set up in London 30 years ago to help victims of racism, said: “We wanted to hold the conference in Bradford because the issues of race, religion and rights are important to a lot of people here.

“A lot of people have problems with race in this area and a lot of people have solutions to these problems so we thought it was just as important to have the event here in West Yorkshire as areas such as London or the West Midlands.

“We have supported a lot of people in West Yorkshire.”

During the conference Mr Khan criticised the Government’s anti-terrorism legislation, including ‘stop and search’ powers which he said unfairly targeted ethnic minorities.

Mr Mansfield, who represented the family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, described his role in defending the Bradford 12, charged with conspiracy to make petrol bombs in response to a National Front march in 1981.

He said: “It concerned the need to oppose fascism and the forces of darkness that did not want justice.”

Other speakers included Farida Patel, from Dewsbury, mother-in-law of Mohammed Siddque Khan, one of the 7/7 bombers.

She told how her life changed for ever when the police arrived at her home to search it.

She added: “I consider myself to be a British Muslim and England is my home.

“I do not take for granted the freedom and rights that I enjoy in this country because I have seen how oppressive other regimes can be.”