Police officers who came under a hail of bricks and petrol bombs are seeking thousands of pounds in damages for their injuries.

Roger Benn, chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation, said some of the 281 officers who suffered injuries during the night of trouble had already submitted claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

The CICA is set to ask a special case worker to look at all the claims.

Officers could be awarded anything from £1,000 for the shock of the night up to a maximum of £250,000 for being permanently disabled through their injuries. Those who suffered broken ankles and feet may receive as much as £11,000.

Mr Benn said: "Obviously quite a few officers have made injury claims to the CICA for compensation for the injuries they received from the riots."

The worst injuries included broken feet and ankles and many more suffered serious sprains.

Mr Benn said the injured officers had been offered counselling after their experiences during Bradford's worst scenes of violence which eclipsed the 1995 Manningham disturbances. During the violent clashes in the city centre and later in Manningham, the police faced a barrage of bricks, petrol bombs and sticks and relentless verbal provocation from rioters.

In a personal letter to the Telegraph & Argus, Super-intendent Mark Whyman, the commanding officer, said cars were driven at officers and they were even threatened with a crossbow.

He said the result was more than 200 officers physically injured and "the psychological damage inestimable".

Mr Benn said it was too early to gauge how many claims would be submitted but potentially all 281 victims could make an application.

CICA spokesman Jenny Hay said a special case worker dealt with claims arising from disturbances such as the Bradford riots.

She said the award for a broken or dislocated ankle which fully recovered was £4,400. If a victim was left with a limp it could be as much as £11,000.

But all claims had to be verified with medical evidence and the average time for a first decision on a claim was 11 months, she said.