A CITY centre charity needs to expand to cater for the growing number of children across Bradford being diagnosed with some form of autism.

Bradford Autism Support, based in Caledonia Street, says the city is leading the way in diagnosing the condition earlier in children, leading to a rate which is nearly three times the national average.

Staff at the charity are now receiving up to five new referrals a day, adding to the 700 families they are already in contact with across the district.

David Riley, the charity's project manager, said: "Statistically, one per cent of the population will be on the autistic spectrum, but in Bradford it is nearly three times that, at 2.9 per cent.

"This city is one of the best in the UK for diagnosing autism and the number of referrals is reflective of that fact.

"In under-fives alone, there are four children a week being diagnosed, that's more than 200 a year.

"There's a lot more awareness of autism in Bradford than you'll find in other cities, the professionals are in-tune with the issues.

"We're getting a lot of new referrals from families, up to four or five a day at times.

"These can be people undergoing a diagnosis, or families with children who can't get a diagnosis but may have autistic traits.

"This group is particularly vulnerable as without that label of autism, they can't access any services and can become adrift.

"We can fill that gap and can offer strategies for families that they won't get anywhere else."

The charity, which has worked in the city since 1989, receives referrals from organisations such as schools and social services, alongside direct referrals from GPs and the NHS.

It received a £10,000 Awards for All grant from the Big Lottery Fund last week to deliver training to parents of children with autism, and chief executive Zen Malik said she hoped to bid for more lottery funding to facilitate a move to newer, larger premises.

"The training is going from strength-to-strength, and we want to develop it for both professionals and parents," she said.

"We can see the work that needs doing, but funding is a big issue, we're heavily reliant on grants.

"We are looking to re-locate, and we desperately need a new building.

"We've just appointed two new family support officers, who are both former service users with autistic children themselves, as a direct response to the number of referrals we were getting.

"It was getting a bit backbreaking, and we were worrying we wouldn't have the capacity to deal with them.

"We can't be everything to everyone, but we want to be the best at what we do, and we won't turn anyone away."

A spokesman for the three local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, NHS Bradford City, and NHS Bradford Districts, said there were 260 children across the district pending assessment and diagnosis for the condition.

"In line with national trends, there has been a significant local increase in the number of referrals into the autism assessment service in recent years," adding there were currently 260 children across the district pending assessment and diagnosis for the condition."