MORE than 600 people of all faiths united to walk through Oxford as part of the 12th annual Interfaith Friendship Walk.

Carrying balloons, the crowd met at the Oxford Synagogue and Jewish Centre, walking to St Giles Church and the University Church of St Mary before arriving at the Central Oxford Mosque on Thursday.

Rt Rev Colin Fletcher, the Bishop of Dorchester, seen shaking hands with Jatan Singh, said: “Friendship between religions in Oxford is not just present on one day of the year, but on every day.

“The walk, however, is a brilliant way of showing the close relationships that all religions have in Oxford and of demonstrating the open communication we have.

“We all support each other and stand together in times of trouble.

“I think that is was particularly special that nobody felt the need to ask what another person’s religion was because, fundamentally, we’re all friends and we’re all the same.”

Oxford Council of Faith chairwoman Penny Faust said: “There is a strong sense of cohesion and solidarity between all religions in Oxford, which is fantastic.

“I think that one of the reasons the walk has been so successful is because there is a sense of inquisitiveness in Oxford, in that people are generally interested in finding out about other religions.

“It was a brilliant day and I know there were Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, non-religious people and people from other denominations there too.

“People I’ve spoken to have said the best thing about the walk is the sense of community it provides you with.”