Street cleaners have been withdrawn from duty across Bradford district after being abused and attacked by yobs.

Some streets have become no-go areas until Council bosses feel it is safe for them to return.

Cleaners have been withdrawn on health and safety grounds from three areas on three occasions in recent months.

The incidents involve verbal or physical attacks and they have happened between 25 and 30 times, it has been revealed.

Cleansing bosses have refused to name the areas to protect staff, but in the summer a female street cleaner was withdrawn from the Bradford Moor area after being targeted.

The Council's cleansing service employs 183 street cleaners across the district.

The Knowle Park area of Keighley, where cleaners have been removed, has been branded "lawless" by a town councillor. Keighley's Fell Lane area has also been hit.

Out of control youths have been blamed for intimidating and abusing staff.

Keighley Labour Councillor Barry Thorne, whose Keighley West ward includes Fell Lane, said groups of youths in the area had been using intimidation and abuse.

He said one possible solution was for the cleaners to return to work in pairs.

"It is an absolute scandal. You cannot blame the staff because it is unacceptable for these attacks to happen."

Keighley Town Councillor Brian Hudson has called on police to target the area.

And Bradford councillor Joyce Newton (Lab, Keighley South) called on parents to name and shame the youths.

A Bradford Council cleansing spokesman said the problem was district-wide and involved a number of minor attacks on street cleaning staff.

"In some areas we have withdrawn staff on health and safety grounds until we feel it is safe for them to return," he said.

It was not policy to identify specific areas to protect staff.