AN 'Amnestea' event at Silsden raised nearly £400.

The gathering was held by the town's amnesty group, in a member's garden.

Among the guests was MP John Grogan.

He joined-in making and signing tulips as part of an Amnesty International campaign focussing on the plight of British Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Kamal Foroughi, who are both imprisoned in Iran.

Mr Grogan spoke about the importance of the organisation's work and said he had attended a backbench debate in Parliament regarding the prisoners' cases and was hopeful of a positive outcome by the end of the year.

He has also recently visited Ilkley Amnesty Group, to hear a talk by Alison Tribe on a ten-day trip to the West Bank.

Mr Grogan told us: "We have many problems to deal with in Keighley and that will always be my first priority as the local MP.

"The work of our local Amnesty International groups of volunteers reminds us, though, how lucky we are to live in a democracy with the rule of law.

"Their work in lobbying for innocent victims of persecution throughout the world should indeed be celebrated."