Bradford businesses are being promised a powerful new voice by the Federation of Small Businesses.

The group's six West Riding divisions have been allowed to split from a larger Yorkshire branch to form a sub-regional body.

The new group will represent over 4,000 businesses spread across Bradford, Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax, Wakefield and Pontefract.

Secretary of the West Riding Region of the Federation of Small Businesses' (FSB) Bradford branch is David Jagger, who runs a cleaning contractors in Denholme.

He said: "We felt the bigger regional body, which we were part of, was just covering too large an area.

"And because most people locally work on a West Yorkshire basis, we decided it would be better to reflect that as a group.

"I'm sure we will have a stronger voice for our members now, and of course we will get more input from and be in closer contact with businesses in Bradford and district.

"Under the previous set-up, a businessman from Keighley might have had to travel to Hull or Sheffield to attend a regional meeting. Now they will never have to face that long a journey, and that should encourage more people to get involved."

Bradford FSB was formally part of the South, West and East Yorkshire Region which represented about 12,500 companies in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Chairman of the new West Riding group, Leeds branch chairman Peter Clark, said the new structure made much more sense.

"This new region has a lot more focus and is geographically easier to administer," he said.

"That should allow us more time to concentrate on the day-to-day issues that concern our members."

Firms interested in joining the FSB's 650 other Bradford members can find out more from Jenny Sergeant on (01977) 690032.