The downfall of the brutal Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic was celebrated in a special church service by Bradford's Serbian community yesterday.

Around 80 worshippers from all over the north of England gathered at the Serbian Orthodox Church in Little Horton Lane to pray for the country's fragile future.

But despite the euphoria over his eviction the mood was restrained as members of Bradford's 3,000-strong Serbian community, almost all with families back home, contemplate an uncertain future.

Father Zarko Nedic, who led the service, said: "We have all been watching very carefully all the news and are very glad that Vojislav Kostunica took power as president of Yugoslavia - the first elected president since the Second World War."

Also celebrating was Peter Vucak, a 74-year-old grandfather of Baildon. He said: "People have suffered dreadfully. I was watching television and saw everything that was going to happen.

"We never believed Milosevic would give up so easily. I was absolutely delighted and had to keep pinching myself to remember that it was really happening.

"I couldn't stand him. We have been celebrating everywhere - all over the world. Everyone was ringing one another to share the news.

"I only wish Milosevic would leave Serbia but he should account for all the terrible things he has done.

"Nobody really believed it would happen or that it would happen like this because he was so strong and had specially trained police behind him."

Milet Trivunovic, 75, travelled from Leeds for the service. He said: "We are hoping that the situation in Yugoslavia will improve and hopefully give people a better life.

"There are people there who have no jobs, clothing or food so we have to hope that things will change for the better.

"I came here when I was 18-years-old and we have waited a long time for this. Enough is enough."

One of the younger members, who didn't want to be named, added: "This is the culmination of the struggle for freedom that our parents started during the Second World War when they rose up against the Nazis.

"It is still a complex situation and a fragile democracy. There are very complex politics involved and my hope is that people on both sides will tread very carefully because we need to give this new democracy time to bed down.

"What has happened is a breath of fresh air. It is like a patient who has been in intensive care starting to take his first steps again. It is a time for great rejoicing but sorrow is also very much in our hearts because there is a lot of cleaning up still to do."