Bradford Hoteliers Association has checked out for the last time - because of an "appalling" lack of support.

The struggling group decided to call it quits after a last ditch effort to recruit new members failed.

Not one of the district's 70-plus hoteliers or guesthouse owners responded to questionnaires sent out by the association which had desperately hoped this would boost membership.

Association chairman William Oxley, pictured, who runs the Five Rise Locks Hotel in Bingley, said the attempt at stirring up interest had been like banging his head against a brick wall.

Association members decided to send out the questionnaires to try to get the local industry's views on whether or not the group had a future. Mr Oxley said the lack of response provided the answer.

"It's very disappointing. The fact that no one bothered to reply to our questionnaire was appalling. But it was obvious the association has run its time and no longer serves the purpose it did when it began 15 years or so ago. It is no longer appealing enough for busy managers to give up time to attend the meetings and the bigger corporate hotel chains are so focused on themselves nowadays that they want to keep information about bed occupancies and business to themselves," he said.

He hopes a spark from the Hoteliers Association will keep burning as part of the district's new Tourism Partnerships being set up by Bradford Tourism and local businesses and attractions. The four partnerships cover the city centre, Bronte Country, Ilkley and the Aire Valley, taking in Saltaire with its World Heritage status.

Gary Peacock, general manager of the Midland Hotel in Bradford, said: "The membership and attendance seemed sporadic, sometimes embarrassing - especially when there were more officials from Bradford Tourism present than hoteliers."

He said The Midland and a majority of other hotels in the district had joined the new Tourism Partnerships. "They will be popular with hoteliers because they are pro-active initiatives bringing business into Bradford."