Lord Herman Ouseley, who produced a report into race relations in Bradford, has condemned the sentences handed out to rioters as "harsh beyond all reason".

Lord Ouseley, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, told a meeting of business representatives in Manning-ham that it was hard to say whether the punishments were politically motivated or not.

And he claimed many were swept along by the incident and were not as guilty as those who set fire to cars or threw petrol bombs.

"For a lot of the kids who were on the streets it was the most exciting night of their humdrum lives," he said.

"It was exciting for those who threw bricks and we should see them differently to the ones who lit fires or torched premises.

"The sentence situation should be looked at and is being looked at. But the process of challenging these sentences is with the judiciary at the Court of Appeal."

His comments were made to around 300 businessmen, civic leaders and members of the community attended the On the Frontline event at the Carlisle Business Centre in Manningham.

The conference, based on the challenges of social integration and economic development facing Asian businesses, was organised by the Ethnic Minority Network.

Lord Ouseley said young people need to be given encouragement, and that many positive things are happening in the district, including its bid for Capital of Culture status for 2008. He also called for help to be provided for rioters to adjust back into society when they are released from prison.

But Neil Franklin, chief prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service in the district, defended the sentences at the meeting.

He said: "It may seem harsh when one decent chap with no previous convictions receives a long sentence for throwing one brick. But look at the images of hundreds of young chaps throwing bricks and petrol bombs and the 300 police officers injured under those missiles. It is always necessary to focus on what happened on that night."

Some members of the audience also complained at the harshness of the sentences.

Manningham resident Dr Zulficar Ali said: "There has been a gross inequality in the disproportionate punishments that have been handed out if you compare them to disturbances in Belfast, Millwall and elsewhere. A lot of these people come from non-criminal backgrounds and have been hit very hard by the sentences."