A two-minute wait in a City Hall queue has cost a Bradford community centre £50,000.

The Khidmat Centre, run by the Council for Mosques, had applied for a Council grant to run training courses for young people in Horton Grange.

But its bid was rejected for being handed in two minutes after the noon deadline - even though centre staff were queuing in reception at City Hall when the clock ticked down. The delay has now forced the centre to cancel plans for two youth workers and services for young people.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, vice-chairman of the Council for Mosques, said: "We thought this would be an opportunity for us to develop support services for young people in the area offering training, advice and recreational facilities.

"Already we have spent a great deal of money to create this facility and it is natural that it should be opened for the benefit of the local community."

Mr Ahmed had hoped the centre could give employment and training advice to young people while giving them a place to hang out, he said: "Crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour are issues here, and these facilities are already there - they need to be opened up."

A formal appeal by the Council for Mosques to the authority has already failed, Mr Ahmed said: "We are very disappointed that, for whatever reason, the Council has decided not to support us. We think it is bizarre and very silly for the sake of being two minutes late.

"I accept that some rules need to be observed but this decision will limit our capacity to do serious work for young people. It makes a mockery of the Council's commitment and the seriousness with which it takes its duties to young people."

The Council for Mosques had four weeks to submit its bid and organisers handed it over on the final day because they say their limited resources meant staff couldn't draw it up any quicker.

A Council spokesperson said more than 40 applications for youth service grants were received this year and five were rejected for arriving after the deadline.

She added: "We had to be strict about the deadline to be fair to those who had ensured they prepared their cases in time, particularly since we only have a limited amount of money available.

"Seven groups including the Council for Mosques made representations about various issues to a panel made up of senior Council officers, but the initial decision to reject the applications was upheld and this was ratified by the Council's executive.

"Youth service provision is being boosted in the Horton Grange and Lidget Green area with the recruitment of three youth workers funded through the Council's base budget."