Cancer patients in Bradford are set to get the best possible treatment after a £1 million boost from the Government.

The cash, which has been provided for a group of cancer treatment teams, will pay for a specialist to work in the city to research cutting edge cancer treatments.

And it will also help Bradford hospitals, the city's university and other cancer research teams throughout the region to investigate the latest breakthroughs in treatment techniques.

The partnership of Leeds and Bradford Universities, hospital trusts in Leeds and Bradford, Convance Laboratories in Harrogate, The Cancer Research Campaign, The Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Yorkshire Cancer Research has scooped the £1 million from a £11.1 million Government cash fund.

The new National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC) incorporates eight existing centres of scientific and clinical research across the country, including a collaboration between Leeds and Bradford.

Dr Chris Bradley, medical oncologist at Bradford Royal Infirmary, said: "This money will help us carry out more phase one trials.

"The joint bid is for doctors and scientists to work between Leeds and Bradford to take these anti-cancer drugs forward.

"It means there is a national recognition of the excellence across Leeds and Bradford. We have shown we have the potential to be one of the most important centres in the country in doing this sort of work, which is why we have the backing of the Government."

Professor Phil Quirke, a professor in pathology from the University of Leeds, said: "Neither Leeds nor Bradford could do this without the other.

"It shows we are in the premiership league of cancer research."

The overall objective of the network is to increase the number of new treatments and diagnostic tests, increase the number of early clinical trials and increase the number of patients across the country taking part in these clinical trials.

Health minister Yvette Cooper said: "This new research network means many more patients in every corner of the country will have the chance to take part in early clinical trials.

"We know that people want the chance to try experimental new treatments. This network will make that possible."

The other centres of excellence are in Birmingham, Oxford, Newcastle and Southampton.

It comes as the Telegraph & Argus Bradford Can... Cancer Research Campaign aims to build on the international reputation of cancer research in the city by raising £1 million for the team of scientists and doctors working on developing pioneering treatments in the city.

Once the appeal raises the cash, with the help of match funding from Sovereign Healthcare, of Manningham Lane, Bradford, it will trigger a further £5 million of funding from the Cancer Research Campaign.