The company responsible for looking after 29,000 homes across the district last night failed to

send a representative to a Bradford Council meeting about its repairs record.

The meeting was called earlier this month when

full Council voted to commission a review into Bradford Community Hous-ing Trust's activities. The decision followed complaints from tenants.

In a letter to yesterday's meeting of the Council's regeneration and economy improvement committee BCHT Group chief executive, Geraldine Howley, said the request to attend had been made at short notice.

But in the letter she went on to defend the work of the trust, saying: "Our repairs performance has improved since last reported and we have recently installed a computerised system which is further improving our performance."

Bosses at BCHT have previously claimed the hi-tech changes would improve the rate at which repairs are completed and cut down on its backlog of outstanding jobs.

However, Coun Hawarun Huss-ain (Green, Shipley) complained that no one from BCHT was at the meeting to explain the changes in person. She said: "I have a list of questions here and they haven't turned up - its unfair."

BCHT now faces tough questions from the committee at its next meeting in February. These include questions about the time it takes to carry out essential repairs and the backlog of complaints it has built up.

Councillor Mark Startin (Con, Keighley East) said he would also be asking about the length of time Trust properties remain empty between lettings.

Committee chairman Val Slater (Lab, Royds) added that the way in which the Trust deals with anti-social behaviour problems would need to be explained in more detail.

BCHT was recently criticised by tenants for failing to respond to complaints or meet repair targets.

According to last year's figures, just 48 per cent of all routine repairs were completed within 30 days - well below its target of 65 per cent.

It fared better with its emergency repairs, completing just over 86 per cent of them within 24 hours against a target of 95 per cent.

BCHT promised to deliver a better service to tenants when it took over responsibility for the district's council housing stock in 2003, and the introduction of new repairs systems is seen by the Trust as being a major step in that direction.