Strong concerns have been raised over a £5,000 Bradford Council scheme to shut a problem-hit alleyway in a bid to drive away troublemakers.

Shipley Area Committee voted in favour of putting in lockable gates at each end of the alleyway, between Kings Road and Livingstone Close, in Wrose, Shipley, in September after hearing of racist abuse suffered by residents.

But some residents have now written to councillors, concerned about losing the right of way, which is believed to serve up to 90 houses. Donald Swires, who lives in Kings Drive, contacted Councillor John Hall (Lib Dem, Windhill & Wrose) to raise concerns.

Mr Swires told the Telegraph & Argus: “There doesn’t seem to be as much going off now as there has been.

“It seems a sort of extreme measure to block it off.

“There are about 70 houses on Kings Drive and another 20 on Livingstone Close – they use it for access to the local shops and the two nearest bus stops taking us to Shipley or Bradford.”

At the time of the Shipley Area Committee meeting, Sgt Khalid Khan, of Shipley Neighbourhood Police, told members that yobs used the ginnel to reach Claremont Fields, off Kings Drive.

Today, Councillor Hall told the T&A he had received letters from residents opposed to the alleyway’s closure.

He said: “I have had four or five letters of objections and a couple I have spoken to seemed to come around to the idea. People have been plagued for years by anti-social behaviour – they can’t relax at home and are constantly on tenterhooks, looking out to see whether somebody is going to throw something at their home.”