A CRACKDOWN on shop shutters is beginning to smarten up the district, according to a new Council report.

But a traders' group says the policy is too inflexible and can cause real problems for businesses wanting to protect themselves against crime.

Exterior roller shutters are banned across the Bradford district, with shopkeepers advised to install other security measures instead, such as shutters which fit inside windows.

But not all shopkeepers opt to follow the rules, meaning the council's enforcement team often has to step in.

A new report going before the Council's regulatory and appeals committee says: "The local planning authority has in the last 12 months made great strides towards redressing the gradual move towards using unauthorised external roller shutters as a means to secure premises."

In December 2013, the Council's planning enforcement team was investigating 64 cases of unauthorised shutters across the district, most of which were in Bradford city centre.

According to a new Council report, in the past 12 months, the enforcement officers have secured a "positive outcome" on 13 of these properties - seven of which are in conservation areas.

The properties listed include three in Ivegate, one in Westgate, one in Paley Road, two in Little Horton Lane and three on Southfield Lane.

Court cases are pending against a further three properties, in Darley Street, Thornton Road and Cottingley Road.

But Val Summerscales, secretary of Bradford Chamber of Trade, raised concerns about the crackdown.

She said in an ideal world, she would love it if all shops had aesthetically-pleasing security measures, but sometimes the realities of running a business demanded something more robust.

She said: "The Council seem to think that businesses put shutters up because they like looking at them.

"They put them up for a reason, and quite often it is an instance where there has been a break-in and the insurance company say 'We will not cover you for insurance until that is done'."

Mrs Summerscales said despite the chamber's repeated requests, there was no flexibility shown for shops which had been the victims of crime or those in high-risk sectors, such as electricals shops.

The regulatory and appeals committee will discuss the report when it meets on Thursday, January 29, at City Hall.