HORSFORTH and Aireborough's MP has joined the regional board of Remembering Srebrenica as the charity prepares to mark the 21st anniversary of the genocide.

Stuart Andrew is one of three new members of the Yorkshire and North East board of the charity, which campaign to raise awareness in of the massacre within the UK.

He will be joined by Richard Corbett, MEP for Yorkshire and Humber, and Julia Mulligan, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire.

The regional board, chaired by Bradford councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, has already marked this year’s 20th anniversary of the worst crime in Europe since the Second World War with a range of events.

Mr Andrew said: "I am thrilled to have joined the regional board.

"Visiting Srebrenica and seeing the legacy of the atrocities that occurred was one of the most humbling experiences of my life, and it will stick with me. Unfortunately, the genocide does not receive the press it warrants, so I look forward to building on the work Remembering Srebrenica does in reminding people of the atrocities.”

Mr Corbett stressed the need for vigilance against all forms of racism and xenophobia, stressing: "Srebrenica is a terrible reminder that we have not managed to banish genocide from our planet – not even in Europe."

Julia Mulligan added: "It is extremely important we continue to remind ourselves and raise awareness about the horrific events in Srebrenica 20 years ago.

"We should honour the memories of innocent victims and their families by building a bright future in Bosnia and Herzegovina, promoting tolerance and diversity in North Yorkshire and do all we can to protect people from any type of hate-related crime.”

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw said: "I am delighted to welcome Richard, Stuart and Julia to our board, as we prepare to keep the memory of Srebrenica alive in 2016.

"We are honoured that three such influential figures in our region have found time in their busy schedules to join our board.

"Srebrenica reminds us that evil still exists in the modern world and hatred and intolerance can flourish, if left unchallenged. I look forward to working with all our board members in helping to build better, safer and stronger communities across Yorkshire and the North East."

Remembering Srebrenica raises awareness of the genocide in which 8,372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered. It organises the UK Srebrenica Memorial Week, which leads up to the EU-wide day of remembrance for the victims of the genocide – Srebrenica Memorial Day – on July 11. It also runs the Lessons From Srebrenica educational visit programme.