Police chiefs today pledged to turn up the heat on Bradford's street robbers as they sent a special task force into the city's worst hot spots.

The 100-strong team gathered yesterday for a briefing at the start of the week-long blitz which aims to throw a 'ring of steel' around the district, targeting areas like the city centre, Girlington, Lister Park and Bradford Royal Infirmary.

By the end of the day, the task force had arrested 19 suspects - including some for non-robbery offences such as the possession of drugs and weapons as well as theft - and stopped and searched 141 people on the city's streets.

One team, under the direction of Sergeant Carl Lovett, was called into action within minutes of hitting the road. His radio crackled through details of an 11-year-old girl robbed of her mountain bike in a residential Clayton street.

The squad then turned its attention to the Manningham area where it cruised the streets for potential offenders.

Suddenly, the van slammed to a halt at the sight of three men crouched by a car behind a parade of shops in Lumb Lane. The squad leapt out and searched the trio while questioning them over their recent movements. Satisfied they were doing no wrong, Sgt Lovett and his colleagues continued their patrol.

The initiative is the second of its kind in Bradford as police seek to slash rising street-robbery figures - the latest official figures showing an alarming 89 per cent increase.

The Government identified West Yorkshire as being among the country's top ten robbery blackspots and ordered the force to provide weekly updates on its progress at tackling the problem.

Chief Superintendent Phil Read said the last drive saw 77 arrests and 672 people stopped and searched. He said: "We do not only prey on robbers during these high-profile weeks, but also have robbery teams who work full time taking off-enders off the streets. Inno-cent people have nothing to fear." Anyone with information should contact Crime stoppers on 0800 555111.