ALLOTMENT holders whose site is facing the threat of closure have accused Bradford Council of making inaccurate comments about the state of the site.

The city council says that invasive Japanese knotweed and problems of break-ins and vandalism could lead to the Queens Road B site in Bolton being shut down.

A council report states that knotweed continues to grow on 40 per cent of the site, with the loss of 17 plots, despite a five-year programme of "eradication".

The report also claims fly-tipping regularly takes place and that local residents have complained that it is unsightly and attracts anti-social behaviour.

The claims were angrily rebuffed at a council scrutiny meeting tonight by allotment holder Jeremy Brearton who said the vandalism was "minimal" and only nine plots were overgrown with knotweed.

He told councillors: "Perhaps if we had a proper security fence, like other inner city sites, the break-ins would reduce."

Mr Brearton accused the council of failing to keep allotment holders informed of developments.

"We never had notification that knotweed was being treated. We found it was being treated from an article in October 2013."

He said there had been some fly-tipping in the last six months, including rubbish which had been thrown down a banking.

And he said residents' concerns about the site had not been passed on.

"We were never informed by the allotments officer or by local residents about the site being unsightly or attracting anti-social behaviour. It is up to the allotments officer to get people to tidy it up."

Steph Moore, estate manager for the council, told the meeting that a security fence had been planned for the site but was rejected because a public footpath cut through it.

The meeting heard that the security fence was rejected after one person objected to the planning application because of the presence of the public footpath.

Ms Moore said that the council had spent £3,000 on the Queens Road B site in the last year, which was more than the average spending of around £500.

The £3,000 had been spent on security locks, skips for rubbish, and other work including getting rid of knotweed.

Allotment holders questioned officers on the location of the public footpath and asked why it could not be moved outside the allotment site so that security could be improved.

Councillor Val Slater said it was "very difficult" to alter public footpaths but a member of the public stated that footpaths were regularly rerouted in parts of the Yorkshire Dales.

After the meeting, Mr Brearton said he and others would continue to fight to protect their right to stay on their current allotments.

"We have been in contact with the National Association of Leisure Gardeners which has a legal representative to advise us further.

"The site is a statutory allotment and can only be approved for sale by the Secretary of State."

"A lot of what is in the council report is not accurate. The report says 17 plots have knotweed but the truth is that it is eight or nine."

Mr Brearton fears that the allotment site might end up being developed in the future.

He remains puzzled about the status of the public footpath.

"I believe only one person objected. There is no obvious footpath because of brambles and a banking."