Followers of several religious faiths are to join together for a friendship walk through Oxford.

Organisers of the fifth inter-faith friendship walk are hoping more than 1,000 people will join them to celebrate the city's spiritual and cultural diversity on Tuesday, June 3.

Imam Monawar Hussain, of Oxford Central Mosque, has been involved with the walk since it first began.

He said: "At the heart of it is developing a deeper understanding about all faiths and between faiths.

"We're also keen to open up the mosque. We want people to come in and see what the mosque is all about."

The walk, which will start at 6.30pm, will begin at Oxford Synagogue, in Richmond Road, Jericho, moving on to St Mary the Virgin Church, in Radcliffe Square, and finishing at the mosque, in Manzil Way, off Cowley Road, at 8pm.

Mr Hussain said: "It's a very moving occasion. Last year, we had 600 people all gathered in the courtyard of the mosque and this really helps to develop better community relationships."

The mosque has been in the spotlight over the past year after announcing plans to broadcast an amplified call to prayer - plans that were later withdrawn.

Mr Hussain said: "We want to demonstrate and express the other side of Oxford, that has been neglected through the reporting of the call to prayer issue.

"We have got such a great community spirit in Oxford and really good community relations."

Prayers will be said in each of the locations, reflecting all the different faiths involved.

For the first time this year, representatives from the Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist communities have got behind the walk.

Adele Moss, of the Oxford Jewish Community, said: "A whole crowd of people of different faith and no faith will be walking together.

"The things that unite us are greater than the things that divide us."

Jenyth Worsley, of St Mary the Virgin Church, said: "I think it's very important. "This is a chance to respect the differences between the different faiths, but also show really how much we have in common.

"It's also a chance to meet people you don't normally have a chance to meet."

The patrons of the event are the Rt Rev John Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford; Imam Munir Chisti; Rabbi Norman Solomon; the Ven Abhipanya, Davinder Singh Gill; and Chinta Kallie.