PRESTWICH man David Arnold has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours for his work to bring together people from different faiths.

Mr Arnold, aged 70, of Butt Hill Road, has been praised for providing services to community interfaith relations across Greater Manchester.

Now semi-retired, Mr Arnold has spent decades working with scores of organisations to promote togetherness and understanding among Jews, Christians and Muslims.

He advises Bury Council on the organisation of Holocaust Memorial Day, which is held each January, and advises teachers on the best way to teach children about the Holocaust.

Mr Arnold will head to a reception at Buckingham Palace later this year to collect his MBE.

He said: "It was something of a surprise.

"In many respects, this award is not so much a personal commendation, but a commendation of a body of work that I and a large group of people have been committed to over many years. It is testament to their hard work.

"I think that we have got to a point where people are more tolerant of others and have built more community relationships than at any time before, but with one caveat.

"If you look at the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby, for example, it becomes quite clear that there are tensions simmering on the surface.

"That horrifying incident wasn't anything to do Islam as I understand it and how Islam has been represented to me by my Muslim friends."

Mr Arnold is a trustee of the Shoah Centre charity, which aims to promote Holocaust education.

One of the aspects of its work was to campaign for a Holocaust memorial in the UK before one was opened at the Imperial War Museum.

Mr Arnold said he was delighted that there were plans for a £50 million Holocaust memorial and education centre in London, which was announced in January.