A union official representing 1,500 Council workers today pledged that essential services for older people and children would be maintained despite a mass walkout expected at City Hall on Wednesday.

Terry Patten, Bradford branch secretary of the GMB, said the young and elderly would be protected from the industrial action.

And Liz Devlin, chairman of the Unison branch which has 8,000 Council members, said her union would also ensure that vulnerable people were not left without care.

Union officials were today locked in talks with Council bosses about the anticipated effect of the one day strike expected to cripple services across the Bradford district.

The Council is making emergency plans to keep as many services as possible afloat. Some 15,000 of the 23,000 Council workforce are expected to stop work from midnight on Wednesday in support of their national pay claim. The striking workers, who are members of Unison, the GMB and Transport and General Workers Union, will attend a mass meeting opposite City Hall at the Tyrls today. All three unions say they expect a massive turn out. Mr Patten said: "Our members have never let Bradford down. We have turned out to help out after the riots, floods and in other emergencies and we will make sure that old people and children do not suffer.

"But we are committed to this national action and believe that more should be paid to the many lower paid workers."

Chief Executive Ian Stewart said: "It is a national dispute and we will meet to try to minimise disruption. I am sure the unions will be co-operative."

Local authorities across the country, including Kirklees, Calderdale, Leeds and North Yorkshire, face severe disruption on Wednesday as millions of staff walkout after rejecting a three per cent pay offer. They are demanding six per cent or £1,750.

It will be the first national council workers strike since the "winter of discontent" in 1979.