People in Bradford donated an £1.7 million to the Asian tsunami appeal.

And charity workers have said a huge 'thank you' to the district's public for giving the cash.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which co-ordinated the appeal on behalf of 13 UK aid agencies, issued the impressive figure after adding up all the money sent from Bradford postcodes.

The DEC Tsunami Earthquake Appeal raised an incredible £372 million in donations from the British public after the disaster on Boxing Day 2004. Another £50 million was given directly to DEC member agencies.

The organisation has already spent £128 million in the first year of the three-year reconstruction plan - over a third of the money donated.

DEC chiefs say the Bradford cash is now helping millions of tsunami survivors across the seven affected countries.

Its chief executive Brendan Gormley said: "On behalf of all DEC member agencies, I would like to say a big thank you to the people of Bradford for your amazing generosity. I hope you all have a sense of sharing in this achievement."

In the weeks after the catastrophe, communities across the district chipped in to help the cause.

Among them were the Faxfleet Residents' Associa-tion and Bankfoot Partner-ship jumble sale which raised £157 and the Sikh community's £27,000 collection which was split between the DEC and a Sikh aid organisation.

Elsewhere shops and businesses in Keighley raised almost £6,000 and Bradford Council donated £10,000 to the British Red Cross, a member of the DEC.

Mr Gormley said the money had been spent on roads, homes, schools, health clinics, water and sanitation, all of which are needed to rebuild entire communities.

Examples include:

l building thousands of temporary shelters and hundreds of permanent houses and laying the foundations for thousands more.

l providing and repairing thousands of boats for fishing communities, so they can start earning money again from fishing.

l providing thousands of work opportunities, such as training people who have lost their livelihoods in agriculture, sewing and carpentry.

l identifying children whose families have died and ensuring they are protected and schooled.

Mr Gormley said: "We are looking forward to a major focus on housing and livelihoods in 2006, when our members may spend up to £190 million on reconstruction."

The global financing of tsunami reconstruction stands at about £8.6 billion.