A SILENT vigil for peace in the Middle East has been held in Keighley.

Around 20 people gathered in North Street.

And then that evening there was an event at St Andrew's Church, where candles placed around a map of the conflict areas were lit.

"There was silence apart from appropriate background music," says Keighley team vicar, the Rev Alastair Kirk.

"Some of us prayed, others wept. We remembered, and we mourned the loss of life, and the paralysis and apathy of leadership.

"In the face of overwhelming suffering and death, lighting candles in silence is an action of great integrity."

He added: "We can only start to have hope when people put down weapons and look into each other's eyes and feel one another's pain as human beings. We must fight against politicisation of death.

"Peace will never be accomplished through guns and bombs, but by courageous reaching out."