Police officers from one of the world's worst drug and murder capitals are heading to Bradford - to see what they can learn from the city's law enforcers.

The officers from Colombia's second city of Medellin believe there is much they can learn from Bradford and offer advice in return. Medelln is famous for its powerful drugs cartels, human-rights violations, corrupt authorities, violence - and 4,000 murders each year.

Police from the city are visiting Bradford in September, with hopes that some Bradford officers will make the return trip to South America.

Prof Jenny Pearce, head of Latin American Politics at Bradford University's peace studies department, has studied many links between them.

She said: "Medelln, like Bradford, had a major textile industry which collapsed.

"There is also an ethnic minority population in Colombia, the mestizos.

"I am interested in these connections and also the fact that they are troubled and conflicted cities, although Medelln is much worse than Bradford.

"I want them to find out what they can learn from each other about how policing can work in situations of conflict."

In Colombia, young jobless men under 25 often get sucked into the gang warfare and drugs culture. Some become assassins for drug barons.

Prof Pearce, who was a member of the Ouseley Commission looking at race relations in the city, added: "This is a warning for Bradford.

"If you do not deal with the problems of young men, a drugs and gun culture takes hold which eventually offers more opportunities than gainful employment.

"We are nowhere near that yet in Bradford, but we are seeing drugs-related deaths.

"In Keighley alone, there were four in the last year."

Inspector Martin Baines, Bradford community and race relations officer, believes the visitors will find it beneficial to see how the district is policed - "in particular the way we work with young people".