Christians remember fire-death Asian chef

Friends of Muhammad Riaz gathered yesterday to pay tribute to the grandfather known as "Uncle".

Mr Riaz, 57, was found on fire in Edmund Street in the university area of Bradford at 5.30am on March 20. The father-of-two died two days later at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

His sleeping bag is believed to have caught fire and his death is not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Riaz had received help and support through pilot scheme for a project called Inn Churches – which offered homeless people shelter in Bradford churches during February.

His friends gathered last night at Walking Free, a Bradford charity which helps the homeless and those living with addictions, for a service of remembrance.

Inn Churches project coordinator Juli Thompson, said: "We didn't know much about Uncle and in some ways he was like the unknown soldier, representative of other vulnerable people who are sleeping rough in Bradford and elsewhere.

"Members of the seven churches from the Inn Churches scheme had all got to know and love Uncle. He was so humbled and grateful to the volunteers on the scheme who looked after him. He was lovely, such a sweet soul. He had a lot of respect from other homeless people."

Ms Thompson said Mr Riaz has a wife, son, daughter and grandchildren in Pakistan and came to the UK to work as a chef to support his family. He became homeless after an an accident left him unable to work. His body will be flown home to Pakistan with the help and support of the Muslim community.