Bradford faces a bill of at least £15 million for the orgy of destruction and violence which ripped through the city.

But defiant chiefs at the burnt-out Lister Park BMW garage - whose repair bill alone is expected to reach £5.5 million - have vowed to rise from the ashes and bring business back to their home, even refusing to rule out a return to Oak Lane in Manningham.

Woodgate and Clark, loss adjusters for the Whetley Hill Labour Club and Girlington Conservative Club, say the total damage for the two sites will top £2.2 million.

Insurance experts predict that with the loss of revenue suffered by businesses and the level of ruin to private property the total bill will reach at least £15 million.

Damage limitation measures are now under way, with city leaders insisting the weekend's violence should not deter investment.

As Lister Park general manager Adrian Clark cast a forlorn eye over the once prestigious BMW dealership he admitted: "This is soul destroying.

"There was no warning this would happen and we had no chance to move any of the vehicles.

"No one knows why we were targeted but we are committed to Bradford and we aren't going anywhere."

The company, owned by car chain JCT, is looking at temporary premises in the area and Mr Clark promised it would be back in business as soon as possible, but long term decisions have yet to be made.

Saturday's dawn attack by rioters - the second in six years - also left 46 staff without jobs for the short term.

Mr Clark said: "We have had a meeting with all the staff and assured them they still have jobs and we will be relocating them as soon as possible.

"We will also be contacting our customers to let them know the situation."

About 26 cars were in the showroom including the newly-launched Mini, with an as yet unknown number in the workshop and back yard.

The owners of the McCanns DIY store, which was ram-raided with a BMW during Saturday night's riot, have also vowed to rebuild their shattered business.

Thousands of pounds' worth of stock including hammers, spades and saws were looted and used as weapons against the police but Julie McCann, who has run the store with her husband David for more than 20 years, said the couple would not be forced out of Manningham by the rioters.

She said: "After we were targeted during the 1995 riots every window in the place was grilled and we thought we had done enough to keep them out this time but we can't beat a car coming through the front wall.

"We are very upset at what has happened but at the moment we are just thinking about getting things cleaned up and getting up and running again."

Dire warnings came from the president of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, Judith Donovan, who said that unless the volatile elements within the community checked their aggression they risked triggering an economic meltdown.

She said: "This is going to hurt Bradford, there is no doubt about that.

"What worries me is that Bradford firms will pull out of Bradford and the city already has a poor brand image.

"Companies have told me confidentially they are getting the hell out of Bradford.

"The riots are the final nail in the coffin, it really is that dire."

But Councillor Andrew Mallinson, executive member for the economy, sounded a more optimistic note.

He said: "We must get things into context.

"The riots happened in an isolated area of Bradford and have not affected the city centre, which is the focus of the bulk of retail and leisure activity and large amounts of investment.

"The message is that we are still open to business and are looking for external investors.

"We managed to control the riots to the extent that they didn't affect the city centre and therefore investors should have very little concern or doubt that this is a safe place."

Regional development agency Yorkshire Forward has committed more than £32 million to the regeneration of Bradford.

Chief Executive, Martin Havenhand, said: "The issue now is to work proactively with all members of the Bradford community to understand the cause of the riots and learn any lessons from them.

"Bradford needs to ensure that such negative national and international coverage is followed up with positive pictures of the reality.

"Bradford is a vibrant, multi-cultural city successfully re-inventing itself, growing economically and tackling deprivation and poverty."

Suzanne Moore, spokesman for the Association of British Insurers, said: "If the Government officially declares the situation as a riot then it provides the costs rather than the insurers. If the insurance companies do have to foot the bill it is likely to have an affect on premiums.

"What will have more of an impact is whether there is a risk of trouble happening again in the future and if insurers feel the underlying problems are still there."

l For more information on developments at Lister Park BMW ring 01274 781600/770600 or 01344 480512.