Bradford councillors will soon face expulsion if they fail to declare gifts and hospitality.

The rule is in a new code of conduct for councillors, expected to be approved at the full council meeting on Tuesday.

The 90 members are encouraged by their group leaders and whips to detail items in a register at City Hall which can be inspected by the public.

But there are only 21 entries for last year and only seven since January from members who have had meals or received tickets to events.

The Council's auditors KPMG urged the authority to pay more attention to recording items in its annual report on the authority about four years ago.

The new code for members makes declarations compulsory, however, and authorities will have the power to hand out severe penalties including disqualification to offenders.

The rules say anyone receiving anything valued at £25 or more should notify monitoring officer Gerry Danby within 28 days and record it. The code follows the lines of a model drawn up by the Government.

The code which give councils the options including expulsion or penalties says members must also respect each other and not release confidential information without permission.

Councillors must not conduct themselves in a way which could bring the authority into disrepute when they are carrying out their official duties.

They are also banned from preventing people from gaining information to which they are legally entitled

And members cannot turn a blind eye if they aware of colleagues breaking the code.

The Council is also expected to include private clubs and organisations to be declared on the official register of interests.

Leading members of all three main political groups and Green Party Councillor David Ford welcomed the code.

Deputy leader of the Labour group Councillor Barry Thorne said: "It is eminently sensible. All parties have been straight down the line and the whips and leaders are already very strict. We already do a lot of the things in the new code."

Deputy Council leader Councillor Richard Wightman said: "We have no difficulty with it. It means members can be very clear in their own minds about what they should declare."

Councillor Ford said: "I think it has to be applauded. Politicians have not generally got a good reputation and any code enshrining the expectation of the public in probity and rules and conflict of interests is to be welcomed."

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said: "It also ought to apply to all the quangos in Bradford like Bradford Vision."