Coventry City of Culture: Tour aims to showcase area's diversity

Vimal Korpal said he wanted people to visit areas where diverse communities settled in Coventry

Stories of why different groups settled in Coventry will be explored in a tour, as part of its year as UK City of Culture.

Actor Vimal Korpal has created the guided walk around the canal, which takes in places including a Hindu temple and an Iraqi fishmonger.

He said he wanted to help people explore different areas and the stories behind them.

The tour is one of several events celebrating the city's waterways.

The 90-minute walk will include anecdotes and a chance to experience the smells and tastes of the area and the communities who settled there, Mr Korpal added.

He came up with the idea during an artist in residence programme with local artists' group Talking Birds.

A Hindu temple is among the places visited by the tour

"People have always said 'you lot come over here and you take our jobs' and it was a case of 'well, look, sometimes people do not have a choice'," he said.

"When they do settle, they settle with their communities to help them ease into a place and they are serving their community and before you know it, not only are they serving their own community, they start serving the wider community."

Coventry will celebrate its canal, the River Sherbourne and other waterways in the events until 1 May as part of its UK City of Culture year.