A jury has heard how a mosque leader accused of hitting a young boy was a respected man who would not hurt a fly.

Ayub Ibrahim Khalifa is alleged to have hit the boy repeatedly with a bamboo stick at the Masjid Uzman mosque in Upper Seymour Street, Bradford.

But one of his colleagues said the 39-year-old father-of-four was sociable and popular with all ages. Yasin Ibrahim has worked as a voluntary teacher at the mosque for four years. He told the city's Crown Court he found Khalifa to be an excellent teacher who always had a smile on his face.

He had not seen him lose his temper or use violence as a means to discipline anyone.

When asked if he had seen anything like a stick in Khalifa's hands, Mr Ibrahim replied: "No".

Yasin Billamoria said he met Khalifa in India in 1995 and would go to the Masjid Uzman mosque to pray.

He told the court: "He would not hurt a fly. He teaches us to do right all the time."

Mr Billamoria added he was "extremely shocked" and "absolutely gobsmacked" after Khalifa was arrested.

It is claimed Khalifa hit the eight-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, punched him and pushed him down stairs. The prosecution also alleges that he offered a blank cheque to the boy's mother and had intimidated and threatened her.

Khalifa, of Percival Street, Barkerend, Bradford, has denied two charges of causing actual bodily harm, two of intimidating a witness and one of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The trial continues.