A former Bradford Grammar School pupil was sworn in as one of the city's newest and youngest magistrates at a special ceremony yesterday.

Twenty-nine-year-old Ahsan Malik, who works as a project manager for Bradford University, was one of 14 new magistrates sworn in by chairman of the Bradford Bench Angela Barker and the honorary recorder for Bradford, His Honour Judge Stephen Gullick.

Among the other new magistrates are two Inland Revenue workers, three Bradford Council employees, a guitarist with a church band, a former trade union representative and a charity shop helper.

Grandmother Maureen Holdsworth is another new face who will soon be taking her seat on the magistrates bench.

The 57-year-old from Bradford will be juggling her new duties with caring for her grandchildren and studying a second year of a Sociology degree course.

She said: "When I retired I decided I still had a lot to offer instead of just sitting at home, so I found out about becoming a magistrate. I felt I had a lot of experience to offer, would like listening to people and could be impartial."

Alison Henny, 40, of Heaton, sold her ladies gym business in Shipley to become a magistrate. The mum-of-one still runs a graphic design and manufacturing company with her husband.

She said: "I've always been interested in the courts and I just felt now was the right time in my life to pursue it. People often have a strange view of magistrates, as if they're a bit aloof and different, but the truth is that they are ordinary people from ordinary jobs with ordinary lives."

Mrs Barker said there are just under 250 magistrates on the Bradford Bench at the moment and at least 20 more are needed.

A recruitment evening held earlier this month inspired 50 people to seriously consider becoming a JP and 150 more have signed up for a second evening at Bradford Magistrates' Court on Thursday. The event will see magistrates acting out scripted mock cases and visitors will be able to have a go at making the kind of decisions that JPs have to make for real.

Mrs Barker said: "As a bench we need to reflect the community we serve in age, gender, area where they live and cultural backgrounds. You can be an ordinary person - you don't have to have a degree or a high-flying job. It's a question of getting the right balance."

Two other magistrates will be sworn in next month - Sabiha Hussain from Bradford Careers and retired civil servant Hugh Peden.