POLICE have visited a new £9m gurdwara to coincide with the celebration of Diwali.

As part of Black History Month, crime support officer Kulbir Pasricha gave officers and staff from north Kent police a guided tour of the gurdwara currently being built in Khalsa Avenue, Gravesend.

The new Sikh temple will be called Siri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.

Diwali was celebrated on October 21.

Mr Pasricha explained the meaning of the festival to the officers and showed how the gurdwara is being constructed from inside out.

Construction of the building started in 2002 and is expected to be finished by April 2008.

The total cost of the project is £9m, funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

The nine-acre site will also include a sports and education centre, football pitches and a car park.