A BANTAMS fan has given the Bradford burns unit appeal a timely boost by selling some of the club's old seats fitted with clocks.

Matthew Barker raised £540 by selling 110 seat backs which were taken from Bradford City's main stand in February last year.

They were some of more than 400 seats replaced in the Co-operative Main Stand at the ground ahead of the club's FA Cup quarter-final with Reading.

The 34-year-old, who has followed City since 1989, has donated all money raised to the University of Bradford's Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) which was set up in the aftermath of the club's fire tragedy in 1985.

He cleaned, polished and fixed each seat back with a clock, before selling them for £15 each on the Bradford City FC and Thackley Bargains Facebook pages.

Mr Barker, of High Ash, Wrose, said the seat backs were collectors' items.

"They are unique, no-one is going to be able to get them again," he said

"I have had nothing but good feedback about the seat backs. I sold 60 of seat backs in the first hour.

"One of the seat backs went to Canada, that was the most glamorous locations. Most of them went to City fans around Bradford.

"I bought some clock parts and cleaned and polished them."

Mr Barker, who has been a City season ticket holder for 20 years, said one of the 56 who died in the fire disaster was his father's next door neighbour.

The blaze, on May 11, 1985, killed 54 Bradford City fans and two supporters of their opponents that day, Lincoln City.

Hundreds of other fans suffered severe burns as the fire ripped through the wooden stand.

Ajay Mahajan, consultant plastic surgeon and director of research at PSBRU, said: "It is really nice to know that Matthew has raised these funds for our unit.

"It is very interesting to note the innovative way in which he has done this.

"We at the PSBRU would like to thank Matthew very much for his efforts."

Fellow City fan Antoni Preston raised £1,439 for the burns unit by selling 56 of the seat backs reclaimed at the same time.

Mr Preston, of Landsholme Court, Holme Wood, sold his collection of seat backs through an online donation page.

To make a donation and support the Bradford Burns Unit 30th anniversary appeal, visit fire-anniversary.brad.ac.uk/donate.