Costs of refurbishing John Street Market have shot up by £160,000, a report to councillors has revealed.

It means the Council's anticipated trading profit of £231,000 from the market - which it owns - has plummeted to £71,000.

That could mean less being spent on the district's markets next year because the profit is usually ploughed back into them.

Officers say the costs are £40,000 more than estimated and £120,000 of rent concessions have been given to traders because of the work. Some of the extra cost involves the new roof.

But today John Ackroyd, chairman of John Street Market Tenants' Association, said the partly-built roof was "like Niag-ara Falls" during weekend rain.

He said the completion of the roof should have been a priority when traders moved back in before Christmas. "Apart from that, I am at a loss to know how there has been a miscalculation when everything was supposed to have been costed," said Mr Ackroyd. "When things have gone wrong, I have just been called the moaner."

A Bradford Council spokes-man said: "This is the only part of the roof which isn't fully sealed and the weather was so severe the water got through. It is only a matter of days before it is totally sealed."

Details of the extra expenditure are included in an update of the Council's finances being given by director of finance Steve Morris to today's Executive Committee meeting.

Top officers will report that their departments are still overspending but they are managing to claw some of it back.

The overspend could affect the level of the Council Tax which will be agreed by councillors in March.

The report shows a ten per cent reduction of £363,000 in the anticipated Social Services overspend figure of £3.3 million reported in December.

Mr Morris says the reduction has been achieved despite continued spending pressures linked to services for children.

A recovery plan has cut the regeneration and environment department's overspend to £161,000 and further measures are expected to rectify it.

The report says a projected education overspend of £1.03 million is due to a commitment made on special educational needs before the transfer of the service to Education Bradford.

Executive member for corporate affairs Councillor Richard Wightman said: "Through effective recovery planning we are seeing a gradual reduction in the overall overspend position."