A motorcyclist paralysed in a horrific crash may have to wait years for his home to be adapted to his new way of life.

Paul Dickson has been told it could take that long for adaptations to be carried out on his house in Kingsway, Wrose, to allow him to lead something like a normal life, his devastated wife revealed today.

And it might be months before Bradford Council occupational therapists even complete an initial assessment of the house he shares with wife Deborah to find out what work needs to be done.

Until then, Mr Dickson, will have to use a tiny washing up bowl to clean himself in a bed made up in the dining room, said his wife.

Today, Peter Kay, the Council's assistant director of adult services, said work was being done to reduce the "long waiting times" for Disabled Facilities Grants which are used to pay for major adaptations of private homes.

But Mrs Dickson, 41, said: "It is going to take my husband's dignity. It is diabolical in this day and age that they expect my husband to sleep in the dining room and wash in a bowl for that long. He has suffered a terrible motorbike crash and this is just more suffering for him."

The couple, who have been married for 23 years, were enjoying a ride on the new Honda CBR 600 motorbike Mr Dickson had only bought two weeks previously.

The powerful machine left the road and crashed near Otley on September 22.

The next thing they remember is being in hospital, Mrs Dickson with a shattered pelvis and her husband with multiple spinal injuries, a broken wrist and pelvis and his knee fractured in four places.

Mrs Dickson, a mother-of-three, spent three weeks in Leeds General Infirmary and for eight weeks has been bedridden at home. Mr Dickson, 42, had to undergo specialist surgery on his spine and at LGI and is now still in Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Centre at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

He is paralysed from the chest down and doctors have told him it is unlikely he will ever be able to walk again.

His first visit home is planned for this weekend when his wife, two sons aged 20 and 22 and his 15-year-old daughter will welcome him back.

But Mrs Dickson said that there is no way that the house will be suitable for him anytime in the near future. She said: "There is only a bathroom upstairs and there is no way I can take him.

"The occupational therapist from Bradford Council rang to say he is sorry but there is a waiting list of 12 weeks.

"They have put me down as urgent but it could be at least eight weeks before the therapist comes and at least two years before anything is done."

Peter Kay, assistant director of Bradford Council's adult services, said a representative would visit their home in the New Year. He said: "Mr Dickson's rehabilitation is weekend leave which will start on December 21.

"This is being administered by occupational therapists at the Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Centre at Pinderfields Hospital, who have identified the equipment Mr Dickson will need at home to assist him.

"Our occupational therapy department has liaised with our NHS colleagues to ensure this is supplied.

"When we assess Mr Dickson we will identify what other equipment he will need to return to his home permanently and work with the NHS to ensure he gets the necessary level of support. If we find that major work is needed to make his home fully accessible we will have to refer him for a Disabled Facilities Grant. We are working with the Private Sector Housing Adaptations team to reduce the long waiting times for this grant by improving the way it is administered."

A spokesman for Pinderfields Hospital did not want to comment.