THE CITY'S Mayor has visited the site of Europe's most recent genocide.

Mayor Jabba Riaz visited Srebrenica, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this week as part of a delegation, including community workers from Worcester.

The city councillor was invited on the trip by Remembering Srebrenica, a charity that raises awareness about the genocide in the town.

More than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks were murdered in the 1995 massacre.

Cllr Riaz said: "What happened at Srebrenica carries a warning for us all.

"Even a seemingly multicultural society can tear itself apart if hatred and divisions are allowed to take root.

"It all starts with words and by categorising communities and groups into ‘us and them'.

"We must reach out to neighbours and seek to understand them. I look forward to working with Remembering Srebrenica as I continue to work towards bringing communities in Worcester as part of my theme for the mayoralty ‘Love not Hate'."

Cllr Riaz and other members of the group met with some of the mothers of the boys and men who were murdered in the genocide.

James Hill, outreach officer at Remembering Srebrenica, said: "It was a pleasure to accompany community and civic leaders from Worcester. Remembering Srebrenica will support the delegates so that they can become community champions who speak out against hate."

The delegation also included Tom Piotrowski and Paul Edwards, from Fortis Living, Kathryn Spicksley, a PhD student from the University of Worcester, Alice Byrne, from Worcester Community Trust, Anwaar Mohammed, from West Mercia Police, and Claire Bailey, who is a member of South Worcestershire Hate Crime Forum and a Fortis Living employee.

The group visited the site as part of the Lessons from Srebrenica programme organised by Remembering Srebrenica.

The charity, which was founded in 2013, has taken over 1,100 British citizens to Srebrenica to learn about the genocide.

A memorial service for the victims of the massacre will be held at Worcester's Guildhall on July 14 from 10.30am to noon.