A MEETING to collectively condemn the death of Mr Tariq Javed will take place in the town next week.

Ethnic community leaders, councillors, police, MPs and colleagues of Mr Javed are expected to gather in Bury Town Hall next Tuesday night (Nov 21) for the invitation-only "expression of grief" event.

One of the organisers, along with Bury Racial Equality Council director Khalid Hussain, is Mr Qassim Afzal who has been appointed by Mr Javed's grieving family as their spokesman.

He said: "The meeting will be known as a collective civic condemnation and comes after discussions between councillors, Bury Racial Equality Council and representatives of Mr Javed's family.

"The actual term itself, collective civic condemnation, came after a number of discussions on how to condemn what has happened. The incident has shocked the whole community and many people have been left traumatised. "Next week's meeting will be a forum to acknowledge that the multi-cultural and indigenous communities in Bury are shocked and appalled by it and want to condemn it. Many people cannot believe what has happened. The message it has sent out is just awful."

Mr Afzal expects discussions to include ways of improving overall security for taxi drivers to avoid similar incidents from happening again.

Meanwhile, police have stepped up patrols in Bury town centre and surrounding residential estates following Mr Javed's death.

The move aims to reassure the public after a week of racial tension.

Bury's head of police , Chief Superintendent Phil Hollowood said: "The actions of a large majority of people have been peaceful and in keeping within the law. However, there have been some others who have hijacked protests by Mr Javed's colleagues for their own selfish ends.

"In the main, three demonstrations passed off without incident."

Mr Hollowood added: "Extra police patrols have been set up to reassure the general public and deal with any incidents that arise."

Commenting on the demonstrations by taxi drivers from around the Greater Manchester area, which brought town centre traffic to a standstill, Mr Hollowood said the blockades had been allowed to let the community express its anger and grief.

"Any incident like this will raise tensions. Any right thinking people will be shocked, appalled and upset by what has happened. The demonstrations and expressions of grief were the first step in returning the town to normality."