A BBC TV show documenting the struggles of Bradford's emergency services hit our screens last night.
Bradford on Duty's first episode 'Levelling Up' featured police attending to a cannabis farm, health workers treating home-bound patients and the Council's disappointment in missing out on Northern Powerhouse Rail inclusion.
The damning sight of the poverty and disparity Bradfordians are going through was also a striking feature throughout.
Arguably, the most lively part of the programme was when the cameras followed PCSOs Kiran Pullan and Matt Peacock.
The pair started by saying every day in the job is different and there was certainly plenty of evidence.
Firstly, they attended the scene of a James Street resident launching a microwave from a lofty window targetting an Audi below.
It turns out that three family members had had far too much to drink which caused a mass argument to break out.
"I’d rather get injured myself than an innocent member of the public, my sergeant will hate me for saying that," Kiran remarked.
Both then visited a property which contained a cannabis farm, with 15 plants and five huge lights.
The resident, dressed in a vest and shorts, told police he was in £15,500 worth of debt to the "big boss".
He presented a grim view, saying: "Now I will wait for the big boss to come then see what he says. If I’m still in debt, I’m f****d.
"You can’t run away - they’ve got people everywhere, I’m scared.
"The only way out is locked up or dead.’
It was not all doom and gloom though, the excellent work of Hillside Bridge Health Centre community matron Julia Dixon was superb to watch.
It was discovered that respiratory disease is the leading cause of early death in Bradford.
And Julia backed this up saying the city is "not the cleanest" and at least 80 per cent of her patients suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
She said: "People roll their eyes and say s***hole (when asked about Bradford).
"Bradford has got this rep for being dirty, having terrible driving and being unsafe."
One patient she visited called George, who has learning difficulties, started the programme roaming his home in a dressing gown.
Some 40 minutes later in the show, Julia went around again to see the 57-year-old who had a smile on his face and was well dressed and clean-shaven.
The insight into the dealings behind the curtain at Bradford Council between leader Susan Hinchcliffe and chief executive Kersten England was interesting.
Each woman was utterly disappointed when they discovered Bradford's involvement in the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) had been scrapped.
Cllr Hinchcliffe was "incandescent with rage" over the decision and asked: "Why would you not invest in Bradford?"
Bradford on Duty also covered different areas of the district, not only focusing on the city centre but travelling to Silsden and Bingley.
Nola Moran, who had specialised in furniture retail for 30 years before switching to become a PCSO, was in the former dealing with 'lesser crimes'.
These included resident Joyce having an egg thrown at her window and an elderly woman receiving a knock on the door in the early hours.
A long-time farmer called Jack was interviewed after two people attempted to go through his roof to steal several quads at 3am.
Asked by an officer why he did not ring the police immediately, he said: "People around here are sick of police.
"Someone will use force eventually. I worked in the Middle East, if they did owt like that they’d get their hands chopped off."
Bradford chief inspector Bash Anwar was interviewed and simply added: "Budgets were cut so we have had to adapt and prioritise.
"I joined the police to help everybody but it is not always possible. Please always report an incident even if you don’t think we’ll come out."
Student nurse Nazmeen Zamir, of Bingley Medical Practice, highlighted the beauty of outer Bradford and how it was a healthier place to live with the lack of takeaways etc.
Nazmeen treated care home resident 103-year-old Mary, who provided sweet entertainment.
Yesterday's show is available on the BBC iPlayer. Tune in to BBC Two at 9pm next Thursday to watch episode two.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel