THE Friends of Bradford's Becks group is taking part in an event in the city centre tomorrow - a finale to a competition to write a poem which will mark the route of the city's buried beck.

The group appealed for volunteer writers earlier this year as part of a project to plot the course of the waterway which flows beneath the city centre. A total of 15 stone markers will be installed at key locations across the city centre containing the words of the winning poem.

Tomorrow, as part of the Words in the City fringe festival, competition winner Jane Callaghan of Wilsden, will be reading her entry at Waterstones book store on Hustlergate at 11.50am. There will also be readings from several other poets involved in the competition. Local author and storyteller Irene Lofthouse will share a specially written story, give a history of FOBB and outline ways in which people can get involved.

Booklets of all the 29 poetry entries will be available for people to look through at the free event which is part of the wider Ilkley Literature Festival.

The event will also be an opportunity for FOBB to thank the sponsors of the plaques., of which there are ten so far. As well as individuals these include companies such as Napoleons, Bradford Live, Anchor Housing, Yorkshire Water and Westfield.

"We're really pleased to have this opportunity to thank our sponsors", said Barney Lerner, chairman of FOBB, "All of them have a close association with Bradford. It also means that we've very nearly got a sponsor for every plaque."

Mr Lerner added that between £5,000 and almost £7,000 was still needed in sponsorship for the remaining five plaques, and that they hoped they would all be installed by the end of the year.

He said: "We have ordered the stone for all of the plaques and have booked in the sculptor's time - he is going to start on them in August.

"Then we will start to deliver them to Bradford Council as they are doing the installation."

The hand-carved Welsh sandstone slabs will be placed in the pavement at key locations from Thornton Road, by the Odeon building, right through to Lower Kirkgate, past The Midland Hotel. One will be placed inside The Broadway shopping centre, and developer Westfield is to commission this one, as it will be from different material to match the flooring in the mall.

For more information on FOBB visit bradford-beck.org