Volunteers who ran a meals on wheels service have made their final deliveries after more than 30 years.

Since 1970, the team has delivered hot meals in Haworth and Oxenhope to the elderly and infirm who could not always cook for themselves.

But this week the service was swallowed up into Bradford Council social services, who already provide meals in Bradford. The service will now be contracted to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service and overseen by Bradford Council.

Celia Holmes, of Haworth, was in charge of the driver rota and made some of the deliveries. She felt the change was unreasonable.

She said: "I am devastated. I do not see how it will be run any better or any cheaper by Bradford Council."

Celia, who made the first run in autumn 1970, also made the last deliveries last Friday. She praised the work of the many volunteers over the years.

She said: "John Snowden has been doing this every day since we started, sorting out drivers, handling the money and dispatching the food for no reward. He has done some sterling work for many years."

The service was started in Oxenhope in 1970 by members of the Women's Institute, who wanted to extend other services which already ran in Keighley, Silsden and Morton.

Meals were made at Haworth Primary School or at Holy Family School during holidays and taken to John Snowden's greengrocer shop in Mill Hey, Haworth, for volunteers to collect.

Mr Snowden, who organised the Haworth operation, said: "The service has been run perfectly for nearly 40 years. I do not know why Bradford Council has decided to do this - they say it is because of a shortage of volunteers but we have never had any shortage."

Norma Mackrell, who took over the driver rota in 1978, was also disappointed by the changes.

She said: "It seems rather a shame that they have decided to change the service, but I hope it will be just as good as it is now.

"But at the moment we also do little things for our customers like posting letters and calling the doctor. We have to get on with our rounds but we always have time to help them out with little things.

"I do not know why this has happened because we provide the service in place of the council free of charge."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "The district's Meals on Wheels service is being run by the Woman's Royal Voluntary Service.

"The WRVS has already helped provide the service to local people for many years alongside Keighley Voluntary Services, other local voluntary groups and a team of volunteers. The change will not directly affect the people who rely on Meals on Wheels, and the council will continue to oversee the delivery of the service."