Traders in Bingley fear the town will be swamped by pubs and 'rowdy revellers' if its historic old fire station is transformed into a bar.

Leisure Management is bidding to convert the Grade II listed building in Market Street into a two-storey hostelry with a riverside beer garden.

Based at the Queens Hotel in Daisy Hill Lane, Bradford, the company leases pubs throughout the district.

But Kay Adams, who runs Kay Crafts in Chapel Lane, said a new pub would be 'superfluous to requirements'.

"One night there was a girl lying in the gutter in Main Street in a complete state and people who live in the centre are too scared to go out on weekend nights because of all the drunken youths hanging around," she said.

"We don't need any more pubs - what we do need is more interesting shops."

Peter Robinson, manager of Sol Spanish Property at the top of Market Street, claimed drinkers use the area behind his business as a toilet.

"The mess is disgusting and I'm fed up of looking at the broken bottles and smashed shop windows caused by rowdy revellers - and we've had enough of it," he said.

Mr Robinson said Bingley was becoming a 'boozy town' as there were already ten pubs within a quarter of a mile and numerous off licences.

Eileen Sinclair, a member of Bingley civic trust and a stalwart campaigner, said access to the building at the bottom of the narrow cobbled Market Street would be difficult.

"The entrance off Main Street is just past the traffic lights and it could cause congestion if a big beer wagon tried to get down there. And if it went the back way along Myrtle Place it would have to cross the car park, which could be dangerous," she said.

Civic trust chairman Pat Rand said she would be pleased to see the derelict building revamped.

"It would be better as a restaurant but with the right management it could be a nice pub," she said.

Lee Adams, assistant architect at JS Design Partnership, in Vicar Lane, Bradford, who helped draw up the design, said the plan included keeping the building's original features, including wooden beams, staircase and fire engine doors, and a new conservatory under the canopy at the front.

Built at the turn of the 20th century, the building was a fire station until 1972 and has since been a health centre and a warehouse.

Owner Peter Handy bought it in 1998 for £75,000 with plans to convert it into a high class restaurant. He is now selling it to Leisure Management.

A spokesman for Leisure Management said A3 consent, meaning it can be transformed into a bar and restaurant, was granted by planners in December.

"It will be a classy cafe bar or restaurant and we want to make this work," he said.