Families living in blocks of high-rise flats have lost their battle to block a state-of-the-art centralised security and caretaking system.

Residents in Thorpe Edge have presented a 132-name petition to Bradford Council protesting about the plans, saying their present system where security staff serve Ailsa, Waryn, Thorold and Gerard House makes them feel safer.

But they have now been told by the Council that plans to relocate and centralise a team at nearby York House with an up-to-the-minute system will go ahead despite their protests.

The Council says that a new system could serve a wider area and could eventually link to other hi-tech housing systems in the district, saving on costs.

Vice-chairman of the High Rise tenants' association Peter Hatherall said: "People aren't happy at all about the proposals, but we've been told that to keep the present system, we might have to pay up to £12 a week.

"At the moment, the system is being highly subsidised and we only pay £1.98 a week, but we've been told that the Council won't be able to maintain this."

Mr Hatherall said that people felt the new system would take in too big an area for effective cover and would remove the comfort people took by the fact that security staff were near to hand.

"At present, we have a security guard on site 24 hours a day," he added.

"There have been instances in the past when people have tried to break into the flats, but because we've had security on hand, we've managed to apprehend them.

"The new system will mean that staff will be sat in an office half a mile away."

Councillor Jim O'Neill, housing sub-committee chairman, has already held a meeting with residents to explain the situation. He was unavailable for comment.

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