LIVES are being put in danger by "outrageous" people aimlessly tossing lifebuoys into a Bradford reservoir, a councillor has claimed.

Cllr Malcolm Sykes slammed the people who threw the life-saving items into Chellow Dene reservoir, and backed a safety plea from concerned firefighters.

The plea came hours after fire crews rescued a man who was trapped in the reservoir at Allerton in the middle of the night.

Firefighters and police were called at 12.40am yesterday after a member of public heard the man's cries for help.

The 37-year-old was in a shallow part of water at the bottom of a ten-foot drop, said Jamie Lister, who is a watch manager at Fairweather Green fire station. He said: "He was at the bottom of the wall in a squat position. He had been there a while and had been shouting for help."

Mr Lister added: "We are not quite sure why he was in the water, especially as he was on his own. It is very dark up there and quite out of the way.

Police said they did not know why the man was in the water, or how he got there, but added that he was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary as a precaution. Officers went to the reservoir after a resident of Lyndhurst Grove in Allerton called police.

Mr Lister told the Telegraph & Argus that his crew had visited the reservoir on Sunday to familiarise themselves with the area just in case.

"When we went up there on Sunday, all the orange life-rings were floating round on the water," said Mr Lister. "We want to get a safety message across. Please don't mess around with safety rescue equipment at the reservoir."

Cllr Sykes (Con, Thornton and Allerton) said: "It is outrageous behaviour and is putting lives at risk. Whoever is doing it wants locking up and the key throwing away.

"I don't know what it is that would make people do that. It beggars belief that someone would actually do that."

Cllr Sykes said there had been numerous incidents of "appalling" anti-social behaviour at Chellow Dene reservoir in the past few weeks, including nuisance motorbikes, which he said he hoped police had got on top of.

"There has been a police presence up there, but not for lifebelts," said Cllr Sykes. "It has been to control bikes that are tearing around."