Experts in religious education and councillors are set to try and combat the reluctance of some parents to allow their children to visit other places of worship.

Members of Swindon’s standing advisory committee on RE, made up of councillors, teachers and representatives of faith groups, have been told that there are increasing numbers of parents who don’t want their children to visit mosques or synagogues as part of a school trip.

The report to the committee, which comes under the Diocese of Bristol, said: “One parent from a school in South Gloucestershire didn’t want their child to attend the mosque visit as they were afraid Al Qaeda would find out about the visit and try to blow up the coach.

“Another parent from a school didn’t want their child to attend as the MoD advised them not to go as they may get shot at the mosque.”

There were also concerns expressed that staff at mosques would try to convert the children."

The report also tells of a visit to a synagogue in Bristol where numbers of pupils were significantly diminished, because parents of Somali origin weren’t willing to let their children attend.

Swindon borough councillor Fay Howard, the chairman of the committee, said: “I think things like this come from fear and that basically comes from not knowing about what others are like.

“When people actually go on visits, whether it’s to mosques, synagogues, temples, or Catholic and Anglican churches, they always find out that the people there are just like them, just the same and that we have much more in common than our differences.

“We’d want to encourage more people to make more visits.”

Ishak Mogul, the head of the town’s Muslim Council, agreed: “This is about education – and it’s important that children do visit places like mosques, and all the interfaith places of worship.

"I’d encourage Muslim children to visit synagogues and churches, as did I, and children from other communities to come to see the mosque.

“It’s not about converting anybody, it’s about breaking down barriers – the better informed and educated someone is, the better decisions they make – all children deserve the chance to have this as part of their education.”

Caroline Mills who lives in Covingham, said: “It’s imperative my daughter, who’s 11 now, learns about different cultures and different faiths and I’d support anything that helped her do that.”