More than 3,500 asylum seekers have been sent to Bradford in just over two years - and about half were allowed to stay in Britain.

Now their needs could be considered in Bradford Council's first major "peace plan" to bring the district together in harmony.

Officers say the ethnic make-up of the district and needs of the population will change if the influx continues at the same rate.

People fleeing their countries were sent to Bradford by the National Asylum Support Service between April 2000 and June last year, according to a report by Council officer Paul Johnson.

The number of asylum seekers sent to the district was second only to Sheffield in the Yorkshire and Humber area, members of Bradford social and housing committee will be told on Thursday.

More than half of them were from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Others were from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Czech republic, Pakistan, Poland Slovakia, Somalia and Zimbabwee.

Mr Johnson says in his report: "If many of these people continue to arrive in Bradford and remain, the ethnic composition and integrative needs of Bradford will change."

The provisions and needs of asylum seekers will be discussed as the committee considers its contribution to the community cohesion plan and what areas it can scrutinise.

It will also consider issues including anti-social behaviour by all sections of the community, as well as the problem of domestic violence.

Today Jim Johnson, project manager of Bradford Action for Refugees, said the needs of asylum seekers and refugees should be included in the Council's community cohesion plan. He said: "They come here suffering trauma, may have injuries as a result of torture, health needs and cultural, social and family needs. These are not being fully met."

The community cohesion plan is largely based on a report on the district's race relations drawn up by a team led Lord Ouseley, the former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, 18 months ago.

The Council has now been shortlisted by the Government to become a Beacon Council because of the strides it has already made towards uniting different cultures.

Committee member Councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley West) said: "I think if sizeable groups of people are coming in from different cultures it is important to recognise their needs in the community cohesion plan."

Deputy leader of the Council's Labour group, Councillor Barry Thorne, said: "When you think of the size of Bradford and the fact that it has a population of almost half a million I don't think this number of asylum seekers is going to affect the ethnic mix.

"But as a community we all need to understand each other and live with each other, while remembering Bradford is one landscape with many views."