Parents in Shipley are fighting to save their children's play area being sold off for housing.

Angry residents say the Council-owned field between Pratt Lane and Kitson Street is the only place where youngsters can play safely.

They claim the children will be forced to play on the roads if the sale goes ahead.

The parents have started petitions, held meetings and vowed to fight the sale every step of the way.

Mum-of-two Shelly Kirtley, of Pratt Lane, said: "I have two young children and they can play outside, with me keeping an eye on them from the kitchen window. If the land goes, where are they going to play? There is hardly any grass around here anyway, and the park is not safe.

"We are all very angry but very determined to keep this land where it belongs. We have a lot of support and everyone who has heard about what might happen is on our side. Even little tots have been helping to make posters and banners."

Another mum, Lisa Brumfitt, of Kitson Street, said losing the field would be a massive blow to the community.

She added: "The field is just in front of us and often the parents join in the games with the children. It's a really vital piece of land for us and its loss would be devastating."

Shipley East councillor Phil Thornton, who was presented with a 70-name petition, said he was incensed at the proposal to sell.

"We are supposed to have 1.3 hectares of green land per 1,000 people. That is fine in places like Ilkley and Menston but for deprived Shipley East we only have about 0.9 hectares and that is steadily diminishing," he said.

"Since the letters about the possible sale went out, I have been inundated with calls."

Bradford Council's asset management director, Linda Carmichael, said a consultation on a number of pieces of land would take place before anything was done.

"Some of the areas of land are close to housing estates but others are not," she said.

"We will be consulting other organisations, such as the public utility companies, as well as other Council departments to establish if they are suitable for housing or other development.

"Sites will be valued individually once our consultation has been completed."

She said sometimes areas of land were liabilities.

"Development can often improve the environment and reduce the risk of eyesores while, for example, providing housing to help meet local needs. Sales of the sites will be done according to the Council's property disposal protocol," she added.