Almost two years after the Bradford riots, police and prosecutors defended the delay in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

It was revealed today that 50 cases are still waiting to go to Court, prompting criticism that the justice system was too slow.

It is understood that some proceedings have not been scheduled until next February.

But the Crown Prosecution Service stressed that each individual case involved a painstaking process of gathering and assessing evidence.

And a CPS spokesman trumpeted its success so far, highlighting that every single defendant charged and 'finalised' in court through Operation Wheel - the police investigation into the riots - has been convicted.

Of the 295 arrested as a result of the disorder on July 7, 2001, 233 cases have been 'finalised' - brought to a conclusion in court.

Of those, 153 defendants have received jail or youth detention sentences, the longest being eight and a half years for a petrol bomber.

Last week, dad-of-one Shakil Khokhar was jailed for three years and eight months after pleading guilty to a charge of riot at Bradford Crown Court.

The 21-year-old, Fitzroy Road, Bradford, was seen throwing two stones at police on White Abbey Road.

Operation Wheel detectives said there were still six rioters who had been identified but not traced and that there were a number of suspect mugshots which remained unnamed.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "There are in the region of 50 cases still to be finalised through the courts and the police have no means of speeding up the process through the courts. This is a matter for the criminal justice system."

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said any delays were due to the sheer size of the task - Operation Wheel was Britain's largest ever criminal investigation - and the number of staff to process the cases.

"Each and every case has to be assessed and dealt with individually," he said. "It is the sheer quantity of work against the limited resources available."

Anyone with information about a suspected rioter should contact Operation Wheel on (01274) 376915, the Urdu language line (01274) 376916 or by e-mail: bradfordriots@westyork shire.pnn.police.uk.

People can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.