The Buddhist group former Take That star Mark Owen turned to for peace after the boy band split in 1995 has opened a centre in Bradford.

The Kashyapa Buddhist Centre hopes to bring Eastern serenity to its new premises in Manningham Lane - the only one in Bradford - when it runs its first meditation classes today.

The centre, on the site of a former nursery, will also offer retreats, spiritual guidance and insights into positive thinking.

It will have its own teaching staff and a spiritual leader, English Buddhist nun Kelsang Dao.

At the moment workers are dividing time between seeking inner peace and decorating.

"Hopefully, through having a place like this here in Bradford, people will be able to develop their own peace of mind and this will also go on to benefit the people around them," said Kelsang .

"We want this centre to be open to people from all different backgrounds and walks of life.

"When we were holding classes at the Quaker Meeting House we had a very good response from the people of Bradford and we hope to continue that work here.

"I think they got a lot out of it and learned things they could use in their daily lives, like dealing with relationships and stresses of their day to day lives."

Dao - who is originally from Dorset and whose name means 'fortunate moonlight' - has been teaching Buddhism in West Yorkshire for three years.

As well as the Quaker Meeting House, she has taught meditation at the group's centre in Todmorden. It was there Mark Owen attended classes.

"I originally became interested in Buddhism by attending meditation classes and it just really struck a chord with me," added Kelsang.

"I found it really mind-opening and it made a lot of sense to me."

"Buddhism is about developing your own positive qualities and finding happiness through positive thought and looking through your own mind."

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