Home Secretary David Blunkett was today accused of reneging on a pledge to Bradford's tax payers that they would not be out of pocket because of the cost of policing last summer's riots.

Mr Blunkett said today that he is to give the police a special £2.22 million grant towards the estimated total £11 million bill taxpayers face as a result of the riots that rocked the city.

The grant will go towards the £3.7 million extra cost of policing during last July's disturbances.

But he made it clear that none of the cash can be spent on the bill for damages - thought to be almost more than £7 million - caused when businesses and vehicles were targeted and set alight, and for which the police might be liable to pay compensation.

Today Bradford Council leader Margaret Eaton said Mr Blunkett had gone back on his pledge to ensure tax-payers would not be out of pocket as a result of the troubles.

She said the grant was "just a drop in the ocean."

"We all know how many demands there are on the police and I would have thought he would have taken this opportunity to give a sizeable amount."

And deputy Council leader Richard Wightman said the offer was "derisory" and didn't go far enough.

He said: "So the full cost of something like £9 million or more will be born by Bradford tax payers and the tax payers of West Yorkshire and that is not satisfactory. I hope that the Home Office will reconsider."

In the aftermath of the riots, Home Secretary Mr Blunkett pledged to the Telegraph & Argus that he would look on pleas to help with the bill for the riots "sympathetically."

He said: "I don't want the people of Bradford and West Yorkshire to have to find they are disadvantaged in terms of public protection and policing."

But announcing the extra payment, Home Office minister John Denham said: "I fully appreciate the additional costs that have been incurred in policing the disturbances last summer.

"The Home Secretary and I have been pleased to be able to offer a grant of £2.22 million for West Yorkshire Police towards additional policing costs incurred in policing the Bradford riots, which should go some way to alleviating the additional financial pressures the events of last summer imposed on the force."

The money can only be used to cover additional policing costs and not be used for any riot damage compensation payments the police authority may have to make under the provisions of the Riot Damages Act 1886, which makes the authority responsible for those costs.

But despite this the handout was given a cautious welcome by West Yorkshire Police, the police authority and local MPs.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police, said: "We understand the difficulty the Home Secretary would have had in meeting the full costs and we support the way he has dealt with all the forces that applied."

Chairman of West Yorkshire Police Authority, Neil Taggart, said the money would help soften the blow to tax payers, despite coming nowhere near the true costs of the riots.

He said: "The Government has set its face against giving assistance for the compensation claims. This £2.22 million for policing costs will be a great help obviously for the police authority and the force but we still have a gap because the total cost to the budget could be up to £11 million.

"However, I am glad the Government has made this grant because they were not obliged to, but we are in a situation where we have a lot of claims in for damages suffered by individuals and businesses and we have a difficult situation, but I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"The budget decisions this year have been the most difficult I have ever experienced in my time as chairman of the authority, caused not only by the Bradford riots but also long running murder inquiries.

"I am glad this has come before the budget meeting on February 22. We will be able to adjust the figures which will have a positive outcome for the tax payers of West Yorkshire."

MPs across the district also welcomed the Government's contribution saying it would ease the burden on Council tax payers.

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe, said: "This is a major contribution towards the costs and we are very pleased the Government has listened to our representations. They will monitor the situation over the next few months."

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney said: "It is obviously a significant contribution to the problem although it isn't what they asked for."

He said the MPs were having talks on policing with Chief Constable Graham Moore including the number of officers working in Bradford.

Keighley MP Ann Crier, said: "It isn't the total cost but I think it is as good as we are going to get and I welcome it.

"I accept that they can't just write an open cheque. It will save something on the precept and lessen what council tax payers will have to give."