A Government minister sparked uproar in Bradford by claiming the Government's new race hate laws could have prevented the city's devastating riots in 2001.

Home Office Minister Paul Goggins said if legislation had been in place four years ago, it would have drawn a "line in the sand" and averted the disturbances, which cost an estimated £11 million.

Battles erupted in the streets in July 2001, resulting in damage to homes, shops and pubs, as tensions flared.

Yesterday Mr Goggins, the minister leading plans to extend laws banning incitement to racial hatred to religions, said in a parliamentary briefing: "Police have been very clear in advice to me that, had this offence been an offence in 2001, some of the disturbances that took place in our northern cities might not have taken place in the way they did."

He added: "If it had not prevented them, it may have led to some prosecutions."

His comments came under attack from MPs, police and community leaders for not understanding the causes of the riots.

Terry Rooney, Labour MP for Bradford North, said the minister was "dreaming".

He said: "The riots were nothing to do with incitement to racial and religious hatred.

"You might have been able to lay charges afterwards because the perpetrators attacked Hindu, white and Sikh shops, but to say these laws could have prevented the riot is a little bit ambitious.

"It was nothing to do with race or social problems, like it was in Oldham or Burnley. In Bradford, it was a straight-forward criminal act."

Keighley MP and labour backbencher Ann Cryer said: "I don't think these laws would have made a blind bit of difference, and I think I know more about it than Paul Goggins.

"The riots were, by and large, started by young Asian men. What actually happened - and I am not standing up for the BNP for one minute - was that there were rumours on the grapevine saying the BNP were having a massive march, a racist demonstration.

"Young Asian men gathered to protest but the march did not happen. The rumours led to a dreadful riot that damaged the Asian community.

"The problem was social. Young Asian men regarded themselves as at the foot of society, saying 'Why are we as poor as this when the white community is doing so well?' "

Bradford Council leader Margaret Eaton, said: "I wish ministers would not open mouths before minds are put in gear.

"Anybody who says there was a single cause of the riots in Bradford and they know the answer is arrogant in the extreme."

She said she did not believe the legislation would have made "a scrap of difference".

The proposed extension to the existing racial hatred law is intended to protect people being victimised for their religious beliefs.