A Baildon businessman has threatened to take court action against Bradford Festival if his company's £14,000 bill is not paid.

David Whittlestone, managing director of Leeds-based 3d productions, said his company had supplied stages for the festival in June but it had received only £7,000 of the £21,000 it was owed.

Festival organiser, the Bradford International Festival Company, which received a £360,000 grant from Bradford Council for the event, yesterday pledged to pay the debt in full by next Monday.

But Mr Whittlestone warned court action will follow if that fails to happen.

Today festival director Neil Butler admitted it had been forced to make staggered payments to outside organisations as other grants from sources including Europe and the Arts Council had themselves been staggered.

But he stressed he was not criticising any of the organisations which had given the festival financial support.

Bradford Council's assistant chief executive David Kennedy said the authority was in talks with Bradford International Festival Company about its financial situation.

"We do not owe Bradford International Festival company anything. We are discussing their financial situation with them," he said.

But Mr Whittlestone said his company, which uses outside agencies to do the work, had suffered serious cash flow problems because of the payment delay but had managed to pay its suppliers and agencies.

He said the company had originally expected the bill for its work at the festival to be met in full but it was later asked to agree to accept payment in instalments.

He confirmed that his company would proceed with county court action against Bradford Inter-national Festival Company if the latest payment offer was not met in full.

Meanwhile, a campaign to form a charitable trust to run the festival was being stepped up this week.

A non-profit-making company which had run the festival for many years lost the three-year contract in 2001.

Dusty Rhodes, a leading campaigner to get the event passed to a trust, said: "We are saying please have faith in the community to help you with the regeneration of the city."

Campaigners are asking people to send messages of support to their website www.trustinbrad ford.net