The woman appointed to lead a crackdown on abuse of the elderly in Bradford warned today: "What we see now is the tip of the iceberg."

Ruth Ingram, head of the new Adult Protection Team which met for the first time yesterday, said more and more cases were coming to light. Police deal with around 900 cases in the Bradford and Keighley areas every year involving "vulnerable adults".

The abuse ranges from violence in the home to financial abuse where a person is deliberately befriended and told a sob story so they leave cash in their will.

It includes: husbands who are still beating their wives in old age; adult offspring who bully their parents into giving up their pensions and homes; abuse by professional carers in old folk's homes.

Ms Ingram said: "It is the same as child abuse was 20 years ago. We know it is there but people have not given it systematic attention.

"As we start to work together, people gain confidence and more people will come forward."

She said there were two major issues at the centre of the problem - the secrecy and low expectations of care.

"Where it is happening people try to keep it a secret," she said,

"And there is also a degree of acceptance of bad treatment of disabled people and elderly people.

"We have an under-funded care system with poorly-trained workers and lack of resources.

"There is an open acceptance of less-than-good treatment."

But she said there was now a major move to improve care standards, which is part of the initiative she heads.

The team is being funded jointly by the police, health and social services and her appointment reflects the increasing concern about the issue. Five years ago there were just 12 similar posts across the country - now there are 45 across the north alone.

Ms Ingram added: "There is a whole range of reasons why it happens.

"People think abuse is about evil people but sometimes it is because they cannot cope.

"Deliberate perpetrators make sure other people don't see."

She said they made it awkward for people to visit by starting arguments or making it clear visitors are not welcome so slowly friends and family stop coming.

From next month care workers, social workers, police officers and nurses are to be trained to recognise the signs.

It is the first attempt to bring all the experts together.

Detective Inspector Chris Binns, of West Yorkshire Police, said the abuse was happening but before now it had not been reported properly.