Leaders of Bradford's West Indian community today reacted angrily to the Home Office's decision to make Jamaican nationals apply for visitor visas before being allowed into Britain.

From today no Jamaican will be allowed through immigration without the necessary papers.

The move has been touted as a way of reducing the number of people who abscond while on temporary visas, and cutting queues at airports.

According to Home Office figures, 150 Jamaicans absconded while on such visas between January and June last year.

But McMillan Serrant, chief executive of the Action for Black Community Development based at Woolston House, Bradford, said it was a heavy-handed response to the problem.

"This is a knee-jerk reaction which is going to affect the ability of many Jamaican people to travel to Britain," he said.

"You have got to ask why the nationals of other countries are not being made to go through the same procedure?"

Courtney Hay, a member of Bradford West Indian Community Centres, branded the move a "disgrace", claiming it would breed resentment among the Jamaican community. He said: "This is a draconian measure that is going to have a major effect on the lives of Jamaicans in both Britain and at home. Many of us have families in both countries and it will deter people from travelling between them.

"I don't think theses figures stand up. If 150 Americans absconded during a six month period I do not believe for a minute that the British Government would impose visa restriction on US citizens.

"It makes a mockery of the notion of the Commonwealth and make Jamaicans feel like second class citizens."

A spokeswoman for the Home Office claimed the new policy would aid the Government's battle against the smuggling of drugs from the island.

She said: "This policy has been introduced for immigration reasons, but obviously we are in very close co-operation with the government in Jamaica which includes the fight against drugs. It is reasonable to expect that this policy might make it more difficult for those people involved in criminal activity to get access to Britain."

Bradford and West Yorkshire in general have been hit by Caribbean gangs - the so-called Yardies - importing drugs.

Detective Inspector Bob Kinnon, of West Yorkshire Police, who has been involved in tackling Yardie crime through Operation Stirrup, said he was keeping an open mind on whether the move would affect Yardie activities in the district.

He said: "We will wait and see how it works out. I am sure there will be benefits in the fight against crime and drugs trafficking because people will have to provide bona fide evidence of exactly why they are travelling into the country.

"But it will not stop people intent on bringing drugs into Britain whether that means they will have to obtain false documents or bring illegal substances in via another European country."