A MAJOR business plans to quit Bradford because its boss is so ashamed of its fly-tipping and littering problem.

Ian Pattison said international clients had no choice but to pass dumped mattresses and overflowing sacks of rubbish to get to his company.

"It's just an absolutely disgusting mess," he said.

"We've people coming from all over the world to our warehouses and when they drive past a three-piece suite at the side of the road it's terrible. I'm ashamed to say I've got my business in Bradford.

"I feel like I'm losing a battle, and I'm not a loser. I've not built up a business like this by just packing it up and saying I've had enough."

Bower Green Ltd, a third-generation international distribution, freight and warehousing company, has been based in Bradford since 1953, where it employs 50 staff and has a turnover of £12 million.

"It doesn't matter how big or how small your company is, if people see this sort of stuff, they will wonder, 'why should I support something like this in an area like this.

"It gives such a bad impression all over Bradford."

Mr Pattison threatened to leave the area in 1996 for similar reasons and now says he wishes he had.

The firm has since invested £2 million in its main warehouse at Dryden Street, off Leeds Road, but further investment is now earmarked for outside the city.

Mr Pattison said he hoped to stay relatively local so employees would stay with the company and had not taken the decision to relocate lightly.

He has been looking for premises in Leeds, but is also considering other areas including Dewsbury and Halifax.

Bradford East MP David Ward said he remembered the company's concerns 18 years ago had been followed by significant Bradford Council investment to tidy and resurface part of a road near the company's headquarters.

"It would be detrimental to Bradford and certainly a blow if they left," said Mr Ward.

"I don't know whether he's definitely made his decision, but I'd be very happy to talk to him.

"We don't want to lose any jobs or businesses from Bradford."

Mr Pattison said he paid £250,000 in business rates for the "privilege" of being in Bradford and he expected a better service.

"I'm not going to put up with it any longer," he said.

He acknowledged that moving his company would be a blow to the district, but he added: "It's too late for me and it's too late for them [Bradford Council]. The answer to it is they should have been doing something when people are ringing them, but I can't do any more."

The owner and managing director said despite months of complaints to the council, nothing seemed to have been done to clear areas around his four warehouses - with the problem particularly bad on Leeds Road where he has two warehouses.

"There's been emails going back and forth for about six months and I personally got involved about two months ago," he said.

The Council told the Telegraph & Argus it always investigated reported fly-tipping incidents to see if it could identify those responsible and prosecute.

"But we need enough evidence to secure conviction," a spokesman added.

The company has also contacted Councillor Mohammed Shafiq (Lab, Bradford Moor) who said he was going to meet Mr Pattinson.

"We have to take a stronger stance and prosecute the perpetrator and set an example that fly-tipping is illegal and that he consequences are that you could be served a maximum fine," he said.

"I will make sure that I bring this to the attention of the Council because I want to work with local businesses to improve their business. I don't want any business leaving Bradford to invest in other towns."

He also urged people to take rubbish to the nearby tip at Bowling Back Lane.

But Mr Pattison said he felt Leeds Road had been neglected and added: "Somebody should be responsible for going round and seeing all of this."

He said a client from New Zealand recently visited and was shocked at the state of the area.

"He said, 'Hell, is there a lot of this going on?'

"They just don't have this in other countries, unless it's a Third World one."

The Council spokesman said wardens did patrol neighbourhoods, but urged people to be vigilant.

He added: "We would ask anyone who witnesses an incident of fly-tipping to note down the times and dates and any registration numbers of vehicles involved.

"If the rubbish is on Council-owned land, we would clean it up as quickly as possible while at the same time trying to find any evidence that would help identify the culprit."