People of Carlisle came together to hold a vigil for the victims of the Sri Lankan bombings.

The vigil, hosted by AWAZ Cumbria and the Carlisle Cathedral, was held by the Market Cross in the city centre at midday yesterday,

Aftab Khan, community development manager at AWAZ Cumbria, said: “People of Carlisle from all faiths and no faiths are getting together to show their love and solidarity for the people of Sri Lanka who have experienced horrendous crimes against humanity on Easter Sunday.”

Those attending the vigil were invited to take a handful of glass pebbles, each one representing the lives lost in the attacks.

“These sort of incidents from Christchurch to Colombo remind people in Cumbria and Carlisle that there is a lot more that needs to be done to fight against the forces of hate and those people who wanted to divide us on the basis of our ethnic culture, our ethnic origins, our beliefs, our religion,” said Mr Khan.

Rev Cannon Michael Manley and Imam Abdur Rashid led the group in prayers for the victims.

Imam Rashid said: “Peace is a universal language and any person who affiliates with religion, whether Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and uses those religions as a mask to hide his evil intentions then the whole world, as humans not as religious people, disconnects from him.”

“We thought it was really important to stand with the people of Sri Lanka, and with the world, as we did with the people of New Zealand,” added Reverend Cannon Manley.

The crowd was filled with members of the public, councillors, and local faith leaders who had all come to show solidarity and support for the victims, and families, of Sunday’s attack.

Michelle Muzammil, 36, from Carlisle, said: “My husband is Sri Lankan and he can’t be here so it’s a bit hard-hitting. I’m here for him really.”