Community groups on a Bradford estate are campaigning against the vocal spokes-man of a rival group - saying she does not represent their views or interests.

More than 100 people on the Ravenscliffe estate have signed a petition which criticises Raven-scliffe and Greengates Associat-ion secretary Audrey Raistrick.

But the association's chairman Dominic Sheeran has jumped to Mrs Raistrick's defence.

"If these people think the biggest problem facing the Ravenscliffe Estate is Audrey Raistrick I think they've got their priorities wrong," he said.

A copy of the residents' petition was sent to the Telegraph & Argus with an unsigned letter.

In the letter it states Mrs Raistrick neither consulted nor was consulted by the estate's residents and should not be regarded as a representative who spoke for the area as she only lived on its outskirts.

Representatives from the Ravenscliffe and Greengates Community Association, the Ravenscliffe Senior Citizens' Group, and the Norby Road Action Group, who collected the petition, said their groups were more representative.

Mary Sanderson, 69, of Ravenscliffe Senior Citizens' Group, said: "When Audrey Raistrick speaks out in the Press saying she's talking on behalf of the people of Ravenscliffe but she isn't and we're just about fed up with it. We want her to shut up."

Chairman of the Norbury Action Group Philip Randall said: "If anything needs to be said about this estate it should be by people who live on it."

Mrs Raistrick did not want to comment on the petition but Mr Sheeran said: "Audrey is our secretary and the association's spokesman and doesn't need to live on the estate to be aware of its problems.

"I'd resign as chairman and forward her the new chairman and I would become the secretary if I thought it would make a difference but then you'd get a petition criticising me."

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