Keighley's £18.7 million regeneration programme has reached most of its targets and greatly surpassed many of them.

Job creation, education, crime and voluntary work are among successes of the town's Single Regeneration Budget Partnership Board.

The seven-year initiative, due to end next month, has met three-quarters of the 55 targets originally set with the government.

The success story was revealed this week in a report to Bradford council, using figures up to January last year.

A more detailed report on the entire SRB programme will be prepared by independent consultants this spring.

SRB has brought not only £18.7 million of government cash to Keighley, but many millions more from Bradford council, businesses and public organisations.

The money has been spent in rundown areas of town, mostly central Keighley and surrounding council-housing estates.

Spending has been overseen by a Partnership Board comprising community groups, businesses, local agencies and neighbourhood representatives.

Dozens of other people were involved in decision-making through sub-groups covering housing, health, economy, education and community safety.

Among the targets achieved through SRB involvement were:

l more than 1,000 jobs created and a further 2,900 safeguarded

l double the number of students achieving five A-C passes at GCSE

l 330 new businesses surviving more than 12 months

l more than 5,000 people becoming involved in voluntary work

l the number of jobless Asian residents halved

l security improvements for 1,800 homes and 200 businesses

l improvements to 2,500 council houses

l crime cut by half in the SRB area

l almost doubling the number of 16 -year-olds staying in education

l helping 173 young people get first-time tenancies

l setting-up 152 new rented accommodation and giving 173 young people first-time tenancies.

l SRB failed to halve the number of 14-year-olds who fell below the expected levels in English, maths and science.

l Although SRB supported 396 rather than 420 business start-ups, it helped 330 survive their first year, 130 more than the target.

Lynne Joyce, chairman of the SRB board, says she is delighted with the report's findings.

She says: "Everyone associated SRB from the beginning until now should be proud of the performance.

"We are a group of volunteers who have assiduously ensured money has been spent wisely. Things we are doing are rolling out across the whole district."

Cllr Joyce believes the regeneration of Keighley will continue due to networks developed over the past seven years. She says: "The foundations we built are working excellently.

"We will not lose the partnership work we've developed."