A computer game which would allow users to redesign Bradford city centre is having to find a new source of funding after its backers pulled out.

A prototype of the game, called PlastiCity, was funded by the Lightwave Partnership, a collaboration between Bradford Council, the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, the University of Bradford and the Learning and Skills Council for West Yorkshire.

But after carrying out a feasibility study the Lightwave Partnership has decided to withdraw funding for the game.

Special project manager for Bradford Council Steve Manthorp, who has been involved in the development of the game, said that he was disappointed by the decision. "It is really sad. The project has aroused interest in the digital world, from Germany, Austria and the USA."

The game allows players to delete, move, stretch, re-colour and alter buildings using a gun-shaped wand.

Although the prototype focuses only on key buildings and locations such as City Hall, Centenary Square, the Tyrls police station and the front of the former Odeon cinema, it is expected that the finished project would have allowed players to remodel the city centre to their own design.

Mr Manthorp said that he would continue to look for funding from a different source so that the prototype could be fully developed, even if that meant modelling the game on a different city.

"Rather than see the project die we would go with it; it does seem like a terrible shame," he said.

The game has the potential to be used as a tool for city planners and developers to illustrate how different developments would affect the layout or look of a city centre.

A spokesman for Lightwave said: "The Lightwave Partnership funded the initial feasibility stage of the PlastiCity project.

"However, the partners did not believe the level of further investment required for the next stage of the project was justified at Lightwave's current stage of development."

The initial prototype, known in the gaming world as a pre-alpha pilot, took about three months to complete and cost just short of £10,000 to make.

Mr Manthorp estimated that the cost of developing the full game would be about £50,000.

However there would be additional costs to promote the game around the district to planners, developers and residents.

The computer modelling for the game has been done by Austrian computer games artist Mathias Fuchs, who is a senior lecturer at Salford University, along with a team of five post-graduate research students.