Bradford Council is “wrong” in not supporting “vitally important” high-speed rail scheme HS2, according to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

He said there were clear local benefits to the £46 billion project, during a visit to the area today.

Last week, it emerged that Bradford Council had refused to back HS2 in an official consultation, with Council leader Councillor David Green saying the authority had seen no conclusive proof that it would benefit the Bradford district.

But Mr McLoughlin, a Conservative minister in the coalition Government, said: “I think they are wrong in that.”

He said the Government was investing £38.5bn in the existing rail network between 2014 and 2019, but the capacity needed to be widened to cope with increasing passenger numbers and freight demand.