They came to remember and pay their respects, the candles shining brightly for those murdered in the horror of the Holocaust.

Survivors of the slaughter joined faith and community leaders at Bradford's third Holocaust Memorial event yesterday.

They lit candles for the six million Jews, gypsies and non-conformists who were murdered by the Nazis and prayed that the human race could learn lessons from its grim past to make the future better.

Representatives from Bradford's synagogues, temples, mosques and churches took part in the ceremony at Cartwright Hall, Lister Park, watched by invited guests including Bradford MPs Terry Rooney, Marsha Singh and Gerry Sutcliffe.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Richard Wightman, lit the first candle and said that the city must be tolerant and reject anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

He added: "Today we remember a very different and grotesque view of the world; a shrivelled understanding of humanity in which your label mattered more than you as a person and where one group was seen as superior to others.

"We should not believe that this malign aspect of human nature which sleeps in all of us has gone away or will ever go away."

Six candles were lit by members of Jewish synagogues.

Bronia Veitch, 68, a "hidden child" who was saved from the Nazis by the civilian resistance in Belgium, told her story.

As a toddler, she was given a new identity and cared for by a family in Nazi-occupied Belgium, before being reunited with her mother in Britain.

"It is right to speak out, racism is amongst us. It is a slippery slope," she said.

After the ceremony, she blamed the British National Party's council election victory in Mixenden last week on the national tabloid press, who she said had stirred up hatred of refugees.

She said: "The tabloids have been whipping up people into scapegoating refugees.

"The BNP is about racial supremacy, like the Nazis. It is insidious and should be stamped out.

"And if there is a war against Iraq, we are responsible. In 1945, we felt there would be a new world without all the horrors, but it hasn't happened."

Six members of the student body Sacre, which advises on religious education, read out moving prose and poetry written by adults and children during the Holocaust.

Afghan refugee John Keyami, who lives with his Christian Russian wife Elena in Clayton, said: "Today racist parties in European countries blame immigrants and refugees for unemployment, poverty and homelessness.

"Bradford has a long tradition of welcoming strangers and today we have one of the largest groups of asylum seekers in the country. But we are still vulnerable to racism and scapegoating. Today we are remembering what happens when such evils go unchallenged."

Guests held a minute's silence, which was followed by the Hebrew mourning song El Mole Rachamim, sung by Rudi Leavor.

Holocaust survivor Albert Waxman, 78, was at the ceremony.

He said afterwards: "When I was 14, I was rescued from Saarbruecken on the kindertransport and came to a hostel in Bradford with 24 boys.

"We have been learning from the past but we are still going through a terrible time at the moment.

"Technically we are so clever, but common sense does not go with it. I just hope that the situation with the BNP does not get any worse."

Seven-year-old Senna Mather is pictured lighting a remembrance candle.