Victims of crime in Bradford were today reassured their bids for compensation are being dealt with after claims that case files are sitting gathering dust.

An employment tribunal in Leeds heard last week that paperwork from the now-defunct Bradford Victim Support (BVS) was bundled up and sent to London.

The documents, from the charity's former offices in Westgate, Bradford, related to cases dealt with before January 4, 2000.

Paperwork included hundreds of archive files and queries from victims about possible claims for Criminal Injuries Compensation.

The claim that the files are still sitting unopened in the charity's National Office was made during an employment tribunal brought by former BVS co-ordinators Mira Dey and Peter Milligan.

Giving background evidence, former BVS chairman Reg Le Pla said the case files were boxed up and sent to London after Victim Support National Office withdrew its funding to the scheme at the start of the year.

Keighley Victim Support chairman Pat White told the tribunal it was agreed all new inquiries from victims received after January 4 should be referred to staff at Keighley.

She said: "Bradford had its own case load and I heard the files were packed into boxes and delivered to National Office."

Mrs White said some victims living in Bradford who were dealt with before the beginning of the year had since rung staff at Keighley with follow-up queries.

She explained: "They are all questions we can't answer because we do not have one piece of paper pertaining to cases before January 4."

A spokesman for Victim Support today confirmed paperwork from Bradford was now in London, but added the majority of documents were archive files.

She said: "The archive cases are no longer live and involve people who have dispensed with using Victim Support - there's only so long you can keep a case open.

"There are also 16 live Criminal Injuries Compensation claims. We have contacted all the people involved and spoken to the Criminal Injuries Board itself."

She said anyone previously in touch with BVS with a query about their case should contact the Victim Support national office on 020 7735 9166.