West Yorkshire's Chief Crown Prosecutor has pledged that the courts will punish the thugs that brought chaos to the streets of Bradford at the weekend.

And he promised that he was lining up the finest legal minds in the business to fight the Crown's case.

Neil Franklin said he wanted to reassure the city's residents that the Crown Prosecution Service and West Yorkshire Police were determined to "take the opportunity" to nail as many offenders as possible.

He said: "I have already held a meeting with the police and we will do the best job possible when these cases come before the courts.

"Although it is still very early, I have secured two of the most senior and able lawyers in West Yorkshire to prosecute for us. It is important for Bradford people to know that there are good people dealing with these very important cases.

"Where we are satisfied that there is a realistic prospect of obtaining a conviction, we will prosecute with vigour."

But Mr Franklin admitted that the success of the prosecution case would depend on the strength of the information collected by West Yorkshire Police at the weekend.

"Where there is clear evidence, we will prosecute without a problem, but it is going to depend on the evidence that is gathered."

But he added that he is confident the police are carrying out a thorough and robust investigation which would give the Crown the strongest possible chance of securing a high number of convictions.

He said: "It is a little too early to comment on the evidence we have so far because the investigations are still ongoing, but I am confident we will be successful."