A Bradford group supporting older people in the city has issued an urgent plea for help after its premises were wrecked when a water pipe burst.

Bradford and District Senior Power (BDSP) was due to open a pop-in shop in the former Probyns building in Tyrrel Street next week to act as an information point about a long-awaited centre for older people in the city.

But chairman Jean Walker, 78, said after freezing temperatures over the Christmas weekend a burst pipe had severely damaged the inside of the building and BDSP would no longer be able to base itself there over January and February, as it had planned.

The organisation is now looking for an empty city centre building it can use over the next two months to inform people and gauge public opinion on its project.

Mrs Walker secured £50,000 towards the centre on ITV show Millionaires’ Giveaway more than three years ago, and funding from Bradford Council has been secured. The Age Concern charity is also involved in the project.

Mrs Walker said: “We were using it to give people a taster of what we’re hoping to do. Sometimes things happen for a reason, life is hills and valleys. For all our hard work it is devastating for us, we were all set for going this next week.”

Centre project worker Sarah Cartin discovered the damage this morning.

She said: “We’ve been cleaning the last two weeks and it is just a complete tip.

“If anyone had space we could use on a part time basis, to have a presence in the city centre to build the profile of what we want to achieve would be perfect.

“It’s just one of those things, but really disappointing.”

Anyone who can help the project can phone Miss Cartin on 07896 308208.