Oxford's Sikh community are celebrating after tomorrow's religious celebrations were given the last-minute go-ahead, thanks to the city's police chief.

The Sikh community, based at the temple in Cherwell Drive, Marston, had been told their Vaisakhi celebrations could not go ahead.

According to the city's Safety Advisory Group, SAG, the Sikh community had not provided the right paperwork for the event to go-ahead.

However, Supt Jim Trotman intervened and tomorrow's event can now take place.

He said: "One of my officers who sits on SAG came to me with this and I decided to get involved."

SAG is a stakeholder group made up of representatives from police, bus companies, taxi firms, and the city and county councils.

Supt Trotman said: "It was like saying: 'sorry you haven't filled out the Christmas insurance liability forms, so Santa can't come down the chimney this year'.

"It is a very multi-cultural, cohesive and safe city and it's very important that the police help to promote this."

Pargan Singh Mattu, who is organising the parade, said it was an enormous relief the event was going ahead.

He said: "This is our first year in our new temple and everyone was very busy going back and forth moving and things got delayed.

"The main difficulties we had were arranging road closures because we had not given enough notice.

"I'm just so grateful to the police and Supt Trotman for all their help."

The Sikh community are not the only ones to praise Supt Trotman for his actions.

Marston councillor Altaf Kahn has also thanked Supt Trotman for the role he has played in making tomorrow's festivities a reality.

The Vaisakhi celebration marks the day when Khalsa - the pure one, according to Sikh faith - was born and Sikhs were given their clear identity and a code to live by.

On this day, Sikhs around the world take time to reflect on the value taught to them by their Gurus and celebrate the birth of Khalsa.

Tomorrow's celebration will see more than 100 Sikhs parading from Cheney Community Centre at Headington at 11am, along Gipsy Lane and through St Clement's to The Plain.

It will then make its way back along St Clement's, up Morrell Avenue and back to the community centre for 1pm.

Supt Trotman said: "Everyone in Oxford should be proud that we have a Sikh community that is prepared to go to such efforts to celebrate this occasion."