Four Asian female high-fliers from Bradford are on the shortlist for a national award.

The district has more representatives among the nominees for the Asian Women of Achievement Awards than any other region apart from London.

Cherie Booth QC, patron of the awards, will hand them out at a ceremony in London on May 17.

In the running for the Professions Award are:

lAdeeba Malik, of Allerton, who is deputy chief executive for Bradford-based QED (Quest for Economic Development). A former head girl at Grange School in Bradford, she is a member of the board at Yorkshire Forward, the regeneration agency.

lAsama Javed, 26, an assistant solicitor from Girlington, who was born in Manningham and attended Belle Vue Girl's School. She was a finalist in the Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year competition, honoured for her work with women and families fleeing domestic violence.

lDr Shahina Pardhan, the first female and Asian professor of Optometry.

And nominated for the arts and culture category is Dr Geetha Upadhyaya, co-founder of South Asian arts organisation Kala Sangam.

The awards ceremony will be compered by comedienne Nina Wadia and attended by other celebrities, including broadcaster Martin Bashir and socialite-turned-charity worker Jemima Khan. Nina, a star of the hit TV comedy Goodness Gracious Me, said: "Asian women are making their mark in all walks of life."

Miss Javed, who works at McManus Seddon solicitors in Cheapside, Bradford, said: "Being nominated is reward enough for me.''