A PAKISTANI journalist and educationalist on a fact-finding mission to Bury has been given a real taste of Lancashire hospitality.

Mr Atta Ullah Cheema, who is staying with relatives in the town, was welcomed to Bury Town Hall by the mayor, Councillor Barry Briggs. And he was also given the opportunity of taking a seat in the council chambers during his visit.

The 52-year-old was able to talk to the mayor about his civic duties and gained information about the local education authority.

Mr Cheema works as a journalist for newspapers in the Punjab and also runs two English-speaking schools. During his visit, he is staying with his nephew, Mr Nasrullah Khan, former director of Bury Racial Equality Council.

He has also travelled to Manchester to meet the city's deputy mayor, Mr Afzal Khan, and was a guest of a primary school in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.

Mr Cheema said: "So far, my visit has allowed me to learn a lot and everyone has been so kind to me."