Radical action which could involve using private companies as partners may be introduced to help Bradford Council's ailing sports and leisure centres.

Richard Dunn Sports Centre and Keighley Leisure Centre may be the testing grounds for schemes which could extend to other sports facilities. The two complexes would be upgraded and geared towards fitness if the controversial suggestion is accepted by councillors

But a long history of underfunding the service, which employs about 500 people, has left other centres facing closure because of health and safety requirements.

A report on the service shows a reduction in school swimming budgets has hit a number of schools. The Council has a major problem replacing all-weather pitches and facilities at Scotchman Road in Bradford and Marley and Greenhead School in Keighley. Despite the problems, the service is highly efficient financially, and has carried out a £650,000 refurbishment of Shipley Pool.

An action plan to improve the centres and encourage their use is being considered by the Council's regeneration and scrutiny committee tonight.

Officers say sport is needed to tackle the district's growing obesity problems. It has also been recognised as a way of uniting communities following the riots last year.

The report by officers Peter Marshall and Stuart Culliford says: "There is growing concern about the increase in obesity in the population and decline in levels of exercise."

But they add that some people are enthusiastic about health and there is increasing use of fitness centres.

The internal best-value rep-ort has come out days before a national Audit Commiss-ion inspection of the service.

The best-value team found:

l catering services in the centres are losing £180,000 a year, though an action plan has begun in a bid to break even

l the use of Council centres has dropped, though the fitness business is good and swimming-development schemes outside schools are buoyant

l more and bigger private centres are opening in the district, many drawing wealthier users

l people are keen on sport but many children are not fit and a "significant proportion" of adults do little activity

l in some schools no children are achieving the Key Stage Two 25-metre swimming level

l sports-club users are annoy-ed with individual admission fees now charged on top of the cost of facilities. This pushes hiring charges far above the Council's competitors.

The report recommends a review of prices to encourage young people to attend centres and a bid to Sport England for a new pool in Bradford West, which includes Manningham.

A recommended action plan proposes the appointment of an officer to lead a team of area-based sport-development workers to identify needs. It also suggests cutting the number of sports centres or transferring them to other organisations including schools.

Councillor Anne Hawkes-worth, the Council's executive member for the environment, said Thornton pool, which closed last year because it was beyond repair, was a casualty of long-term underfunding.

She added: "The situation can't continue. It is untenable. We have to look at other ways of running things."

But scrutiny committee chairman Councillor Andy Mudd said: "I would be against privatisation of community facilities. I would be very worried about private-sector inv-olvement. "

Education committee chairman Councillor David Ward said he would be pleased to see schools taking a wider role in community sports facilities.

"It is about schools working in their communities," he said.

No decision on the report and recommendations will be taken until a full condition survey has been carried out before the end of this year.