A leading Bradford academic has attacked the Government over its new anti-terror legislation.

And the district's MPs were divided on the issue as ministers scrambled to avoid an embarrassing parliamentary defeat.

The controversial new proposals would enable police to detain terror suspects without charge for 42 days, rather than the existing 28 days.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, already under pressure over police pay, faced a back-bench rebellion over the proposed extension, which has been compared to the disastrous internment policy in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

The new legislation would also permit post-charge questioning of terrorist suspects, stronger sentences for offences linked to terrorist plots, increased monitoring of convicted terrorists and the expansion of DNA use in terrorism investigations.

Bradford University's head of peace studies, Professor Paul Rogers, said: "I am rather surprised that the Government is pressing ahead on this. There is a lot of opposition to the 42-day proposal.

"If we do have what amounts to detention without trial for up to six weeks it could cause even greater resentment which would defeat the purpose, similar to what happened with the Prevention of Terrorism Act as used in Northern Ireland.

"The opposition to the 42-day proposal is not just from the traditional human-rights lobby but senior legal figures. The Government wants to reassure the public that it is taking strong action on terrorism but I would be very surprised if they manage to get it passed."

There was strong cross-party opposition among Bradford district MPs.

Labour's Keighley MP Ann Cryer said: "I am not voting for the limit to be raised and allow suspects to be detained for 42 days. I would go along with 42 days in exceptional circumstances."

Shipley Tory MP Philip Davies agreed the limit should not be increased. He said: "There has been no evidence to say the time limit needs to be raised."

The Ramadhan Foundation, a leading Muslim group based in the North of England, also rejected the proposed measures.

Mohammed Shafiq, Director of the Foundation, said: "The publication of the Counter Terrorism Bill later today will be an opportunity to once again offer our absolute opposition to 42-day detention. This Govern-ment has not provided any evidence of the need to increase the detention time and therefore it is clear it is far more interested in headline grabbing initiatives, without any substance."

Bradford South MP and sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe backed the Government.