Safety fears have led to the closure of Bradford Royal Infirmary's helicopter landing pad.

It means emergency patients picked up by the charity-funded Yorkshire Air Ambulance cannot be transported to the city's hospital.

Instead patients are being transferred to Airedale General Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary, which both have helipads.

New rules and regulations from the Civil Aviation Authority, the UK's independent aviation authority, have forced bosses at the air ambulance to take the decision reluctantly.

Mike Lindley, operations manager for YAA, said: "It has been a difficult decision but regulations have been tightened and we are no longer able to fly into the site.

"It was always a very tight site and it was increasingly dangerous to go in because it is so congested.

"It is surrounded on two or three sides by buildings, compounded by the fact the buildings are three or four storeys high.

"If there was a problem with the helicopter there is no room to run off. Yorkshire Air Ambulance is a very safe operation and we would not want to put anyone at risk."

The helipad, close to Chestnut House on the north side of BRI, was introduced in May 2004 after the previous landing site in the grounds of the Girls' Grammar School was lost when the school began building work.

The new landing site was hailed by hospital bosses as a major step forward for the Trust in that it provided quick and direct access for patients to the A&E department.

Mr Lindley said the site had never been satisfactory as patients had to be wheeled on a trolley down a public corridor to reach A&E and it had always been a temporary solution.

A new building planned for the helipad site could have provided a roof-top landing space, but when the building work was shelved no other site in the hospital grounds could be identified.

Mr Lindley added: "Bradford continues to be our busiest area and fortunately we have a fantastic facility at Airedale Hospital with direct access into casualty, so it is not as if the people of Bradford are left without a hospital with a landing site.

"It may seem a long way by road, but in the helicopter it is just a few minutes maximum.

"There is no cause for concern whatsoever and it does not affect the service in the slightest."

Miles Scott, chief executive of Bradford Teaching Hospitals, said: "CAA regulations have changed and we have been informed by the Air Ambulance that they can no longer use the established temporary landing site at BRI.

"We are reassured that this won't have any significant impact on patients or the trauma service as the air ambulance will work with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the Foundation Trust to make sure that suitable arrangements are in place for patients."

A spokesman for the CAA said regulations were updated on a regular basis to maintain safety for passengers and the public.

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk