Urgent action was today promised to stop a crisis hit shopping area from becoming a "ghost town."

The pledge came from Councillor Dave Green following a bitter attack from Bradford Chamber of Trade about the major delays hitting the redevelopment of historic Rawson Market.

And a survey carried out by the Telegraph & Argus reveals that 12 businesses have pulled the shutters down in the area, most of them during the past two years, and more than 40 market traders called it a day.

Many blame the closure of the market as long ago as March 1996 for the slump in passing trade - and fury is mounting because still not a brick has been laid.

But today Coun Green, Chairman of the regeneration committee said: "We know there are problems in the top of the city and will be drawing up a regeneration plan."

Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said he was also conscious of the problems and doing everything in his power to get the £6 million market scheme off the ground.

Leader of the Council's Tory Group Councillor Margaret Eaton has contacted the council's external auditors asking for a full investigation into the use of public funds.

The market scheme will be funded through the sale of the city's Vicar Lane car park to a leisure developer.

But the transaction has been dogged by delays and even if builders move in at Christmas, when the sale is expected to go through, it is likely to be the Millennium before the tenants move back from the nearby temporary £1.2 million market.

Meanwhile the relocated Rawson tenants and stallholders in nearby James Street fish market who say their trade has been decimated by the hold ups are occupying their stalls rent free.

Now 116 stall holders at nearby John Street Market who also say they are being badly hit have sent a petition to the Council asking for similar concessions. They say the council should also draw shoppers to the top end of the city with promotions and entertainment.

Secretary of John Street Traders Association, Mr John Ackroyd, said "Something as to be done quickly to avoid this becoming a "ghost town".

But Councillor Eaton claims the authority must have lost about £2 million in rent income, compensation, and the £1.2 million cost of the temporary unit.

She said the council should not have moved the tenants out until it was certain the cash was in the kitty for the redevelopment scheme. Councillor Eaton said the labour group should not have relied on another sale to fund the scheme.

"I doubt very much that the development will still cost £6 million after the passing of two years."

More than 40 of the businesses which shut shop were from the markets and the others had premises in surrounding streets.

A number have relocated but market traders say many of their colleagues have been left with businesses in tatters.

Eric Hudson, President of Bradford Chamber of Trade has written to the Council alleging that the authority has acted in an "inept and professional manner" and totally mismanaged the whole affair.

But Council Leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "The intemperate manner of the letter is regrettable."

He said the Chamber had never asked for a meeting on the problems.

Coun Greenwood said he hoped the capital programme could be reorganised to enable work on the project to start.

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