Bradford could become a significant sanctuary for Kosovan refugees if they come to Britain, experts have revealed.

The City Council has been asked to provide details of its 400 empty houses by the Home Office.

On Monday a conference was held at Leeds Bradford Airport for voluntary groups and other agencies including hospitals, to work out contingency plans if large numbers arrive in the coming weeks.

Britain is the only NATO country not to specify how many of the homeless people it is prepared to accommodate - but the Local Government Association has asked each council to say how many it could house on a temporary basis. So far the total stands at 2,000 - and still rising.

Experts say that Bradford, with its empty council houses and good ethnic minority relations, is set to be asked to help.

The Northern Refugee Centre based in Sheffield provides support and advice for refugees in Yorkshire. Chief executive Jeremy Heney said the Government's new Immigration and Asylum Bill will encourage people to be accommodated away from London. Bradford could become an important host city.

"The Home Office will be looking for vacant accommodation in areas with a good history with ethnic minority groups and access to education and employment," said Mr Heney.

"Obviously we will be looking at Sheffield, Bradford, Leeds and Kirklees. If we can find somewhere which will have the services there and have the experience of getting on with these groups we would favour say Bradford more than Hull which is a more transitional place, being a port."

If Britain agrees to large numbers, Mr Heney said, cities will be asked to re-open old people's homes and disused hospital wards.

The experiences of the Balkan Peace Team who were evicted from Belgrade when NATO began the air strikes can be heard first hand in Bradford tomorrow.

Former Bradford University peace studies student Alan Jones and colleague Eric Tor'ch will speak at a public meeting of the Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament at 7pm in the Central Library.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.