Workers on a hospital radio station fear they could be forced off the air after vandals caused thousands of pounds of damage to their outside broadcast unit.

Programme controller Steve White said Sovereign Radio, which serves Lynfield Mount Hospital in Bradford, relied on the unit to raise funds to keep it afloat.

He said the volunteer-run station cannot afford the repairs and would have to cancel nine roadshows planned for the summer if no-one comes forward to help.

Vandals broke into the unit while it was parked in the grounds of the hospital in Heights Lane, Daisy Hill, over the winter but only managed to damage the roof.

According to Mr White, that allowed water to seep in which rotted the unit's wooden framework.

The volunteers discovered the damage when they began to fit it with recording equipment for the summer roadshows.

Mr White said: "All the wooden panelling has peeled off but the worst damage is to the unit's wooden struts which hold the sides up.

"They need replacing but this would cost a couple of thousand pounds to replace professionally and we just don't have the cash.

"We start our roadshow campaign in under two weeks time with a centenary celebration at St Bede's Grammar School but the unit just is not safe to use.

"It's the main source of income we've got. What we are appealing for is somebody, maybe an individual or a business, to help us with the cost of the repairs.

"If not we might have to cancel our summer programme and that could put the future of the station at risk."

Sovereign Radio was originally started as Radio Westwood in 1976 and served the patients of the now closed Westwood Hospital.

In 1989 it started broadcasting to patients in Lynfield Mount Hospital where it is now based.

Call Steve White on (01274) 741821 if you can help get the show on the road again.