A batch of luxury flats built in a former ironmongers could ignite city centre living in the Little Germany area of Bradford.

The 20 loft-style one and two-bedroom apartments and three houses have gone on sale in the refurbished Silens Works in Peckover Street.

Once home to the world-renowned W&R Leggott ironmongers, the impressive listed building had fallen into serious disrepair before it was snapped up by Yorkshire Design Developments.

Construction is still underway, but advertisements for the flats have already appeared and the first two apartments were snapped up this week.

The apartments, some of which feature a gallery bedroom overlooking a combined kitchen and living room, are priced from £65,000 to £105,000 for the split-level houses.

They all include a parking space housed within the building's grounds.

Jonathan Morgan, managing director of estate agents Morgans who are handling the sales, said: "We've sold two apartments and I've got another six or seven viewings booked for this week. There's no shortage of interest and the aim is to have all of them sold by Christmas.

"These type of apartments are going for twice the price in Leeds. The developers were the same company responsible for a lot of the apartments built in the Calls area next to the canal in Leeds.

"When they first started building them a lot of people were sceptical, but now it is a thriving area. We hope these apartments will have a domino effect and encourage other developers to start their own projects in Little Germany."

This latest project comes in the wake of the opening of the first purpose-built flats in Ivebridge House, next to Centenary Square, by Landmark Development Projects.

Dave West, Bradford Council's regeneration project manager, said: "This is the key development for Little Germany and hopefully it will encourage other developers to add to what's being done at Silens Works.

"What Nigel Rice, the project director of the Little Germany Company, has succeeded in doing is to encourage other developers to buy properties in Little Germany and apply for planning permission to turn them into residential units.

"All they need is one developer to go that next stage and build the flats to sell.

"There is target of about 200 flats in Little Germany. The more people who come to live in the area, the more bars, restaurants and shops you get to cater for their needs.

"It's a very exciting time in terms of Little Germany city centre living."