A £660,000 contract to carry out health and safety work at Odsal stadium is expected to be awarded by Bradford Council to contractors within days.

The Council's Chief Executive Ian Stewart said today the authority was now advertising nationally for tenders to carry out the work at the home of Bradford Bulls and would select a company in the middle of August.

The Bulls have called on the Council to carry out further improvements, but the authority says it already gives the Super League and world champions strong financial support and has no legal requirement to do more than health and safety work.

In the meantime Mr Stewart's meetings with Bulls boss Chris Caisley about how the authority can support the top club in its bid to get a fitting home go on.

One line of the talks has been the termination of an existing agreement for the Bulls to use the stadium and also receive £300,000 a year from the Council.

The Council would probably make a payment taking into account the amount the club would lose in the 17 years the agreement still has to run.

It would give the club capital to provide itself a better home at Odsal or move to Valley Parade now Bradford City's financial crisis is being resolved. The Council's Executive committee members have now been told by Mr Stewart plans are in place to award the contract for the stadium's health and safety work in mid-August.

But he has pointed out that the talks are continuing and warned a special meeting of the executive may have to be held during the August break if there are developments.

The Bulls had hoped to return to a £65 million world class stadium at Odsal next year but developers Sterling Capitol pulled out reluctantly when the scheme was called in for a public inquiry.

They have been the guests of Bradford City at Valley Parade for the last two seasons.