Environmentalists have praised a joint Bradford and Leeds clean-up drive along a wildlife-rich border valley.

And the Gateway Trust, based in the north east of Bradford, says the tidying up operation along Fagley Beck could mark the start of an exciting new era of regeneration.

About 40 abandoned vehicles have been removed from the valley, which runs from Fagley through Greengates up to Apperley Bridge, in the last 12 months.

The trust co-ordinated the initiative, which began last September, with help from Leeds and Bradford councils and Eccleshill and Pudsey police divisions.

Many of the routes into the woodland where the cars were being dumped have been blocked off, while the police have been concentrating on tracking down offenders on either side of the valley.

Environment Officer with the Trust, Greengates resident Stuart Parkin, says plans are afoot to transform the litter-strewn wildlife area.

"We want to clean up the whole of the beck and hope to get some workers from the probation service in to lift out the majority of the rubbish that's been dumped in it," he said.

"We're also hoping to build some bridges over the stream and work with the National Trust on some specific wildlife projects.

"These would include creating wildflower meadows and a community orchard, and we're also hoping to organise some sort of formal protection for the area."

The plans, which have been drawn up over the last four years, are now being finalised and the trust intends to begin applying for funding this autumn.

Secretary John Smith, of Fagley, said the idea was to turn the beck into an attractive and accessible leisure and conservation facility for local communities.

"We're hoping to make the place somewhere that can be enjoyed again," he said.

Fagley Beck Valley is home to herds of roe deer and a variety of amphibians including newts and toads, and the trust is confident a new survey will reveal many other examples of rarer British fauna and flora.

Despite the success of the clean-up there are still concerns about the odd rogue vehicle that seems to have slipped through the net and about some anti-social behaviour.

A spokesman for Eccleshill Police said officers were happy to continue supporting the trust's efforts at keeping the valley clean.

"Our community action team are aware of the problems of cars being dumped and youngsters riding motorcycles in the area and we constantly monitor the situation," he said.

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