A head waiter at a restaurant which publicly apologised over the Bradford riots has admitted playing an active part in the disorder.

Abdul Saheed, pictured, who worked at the Nawaab for several years, yesterday pleaded guilty to an offence of riot at the city's Crown Court and now faces a lengthy jail sentence.

In the aftermath of the violence, which caused millions of pounds of destruction, the Nawaab, in Manor Row, was one of 19 businesses which took out a full-page advertisement in the Telegraph & Argus. Under the umbrella of the Asian Trades Link Ltd, the statement read: "The Asian community is appalled and horrified by the scale and intensity of the violence which occurred in Bradford last Saturday. We strongly condemn the destruction and carnage caused by a small group of hooligans who by no means represent the Asian community."

It added: "On behalf of the silent majority of law abiding Asian citizens of Bradford we would like to express our sincere sympathies to all those affected by the mindless destruction and violence of last weekend's events."

But yesterday it emer-ged that Saheed, 37, of Curzon Road, Bradford Moor, had played an active role in the violence on July 7, 2001.

Mohammed Ejaz Chaudhry, director and secretary of the Nawaab, said Saheed was head waiter at the award-winning restaurant but had been forced to work part-time since 1998 after suffering kidney failure.

He said he believed Saheed had originally gone to the scene with a number of community leaders in a bid to quell the violence.

"From what I understand he really regrets it," said Mr Chaudhry.

He said of the Nawaab: "We have always tried to bring good to the city.

"What happened on the terrible night has not benefited anyone and we just want Bradford to prosper and put this behind us."

The Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, adjourned the case until January for sentence and released Saheed on bail.