The needs of young people in Keighley will be the subject of a planned study costing up to £25,000.

Consultants will quiz teenagers, parents and local organisations about the problems faced by those growing up in the town.

They will suggest activities to keep young people occupied, then seek the money to put them into practice.

The study has developed from a top-level gathering last week of 30 organisations which work among young people in Keighley.

The seminar, at the Sangat Community Centre, was attended by community groups, churches, council departments, politicians, police and schools.

They looked at issues affecting young people in Keighley, such as racial segregation, drug-related crime and community safety.

Representatives felt that in-depth research was needed so the varied problems can be tackled in a comprehensive way.

Sangat Centre manager Khadim Hussain said his association had originally planned to research the needs of only young people living in the Lawkholme and Showfield areas.

The centre was concerned that some young men in the community had been involved in the gang culture that led to violence in recent months.

The initiative grew to involve the whole of Keighley after Sangat bosses talked with local councillors and youth workers.

Participants at last week's seminar decided to hold another meeting with a greater number of Keighley organisations and seek funding for the research.

The study is likely to be carried out by a team of consultants which has done similar studies in cities such as Leicester, Slough, Birmingham and Nottingham.

Mr Hussain said: "They will come out with solutions that are achievable. The focus will be on young people, but it will take all groups into consideration.

"The idea is to keep an open mind, to consult everybody -- all the communities, parents, teachers, police -- to discover what their feelings are.

"We don't want to wait for riots before we do something. The idea is to be proactive, to take the initiative before things happen.

"As a community we have to tackle these issues.

"We have to make up our minds to create a real multi-cultural society."

Mr Hussain feels there is a lack of facilities for young people in Keighley, with many not able to afford to use places such as the leisure centre.

"It's one thing to label them, or criticise them for standing on street corners, but what else is available to them?" he added.