A BRADFORD councillor worried about the safety of Somaiya Begum has asked people to refrain from speculation about a police investigation on social media.

West Yorkshire Police has made a number of arrests in connection with the missing Bradford 20-year-old Somaiya Begum, who was last seen at her home address on Binnie Street in Barkerend on Saturday afternoon around 2pm.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Somaiya BegumSomaiya Begum

There have been no confirmed sightings or contact from her since and police are treating her disappearance as unexplained.

An industrial site on Thornbury Road, Laisterdyke, had been the focus of a police investigation since Saturday, but this afternoon a large police presence was on Harewood Street, Barkerend, which backs onto Binnie Street.

Cllr Riaz Ahmed (Lib Dem, Bradford Moor) said: "I hope and pray that Somaiya Begum is safe and well. My thoughts and prayers are with the family."

"I'd like to request people to refrain from making hasty comments on social media because it's an ongoing police enquiry.

"A lot of information is hearsay which should be avoided at all costs.

"People just can't be making comments which are not founded and refrain from making until there is proof of what has happened."

But he reassured people to let the police carry out their investigation.

"The longer it goes on it's going to make people worry about the safety of Somaiya Begum.

"It's quite frightening to see forensics investigators in white suits and it's frightening to see a police cordon as this worries people as well.

"It's not unusual for people to be worried in these situations."