Police chiefs plan to put 100 more front-line support officers on the streets after scooping an extra £1 million of Government cash to cover the costs of the Bradford riots.

The cash boost means West Yorkshire Police Authority has now been given £3.2 million from the Home Office towards the £3.7m bill of policing the disturbances in 2001.

The authority's chairman, Mark Burns-Williamson, said there were no costs left to pay from the operation so the cash would be ploughed into putting more Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) on the streets.

A bid has now been made to the Home Office for extra funding to recruit 100 more PCSOs. If it is successful the scheme will cost £600,000, with the police authority paying half the costs.

Bradford was thrust into the national spotlight in June 2001 when violence erupted, with residents fighting battles in the streets.

Rioters caused an estimated £7 million of damage as businesses and vehicles were targeted and set alight - leaving stunned taxpayers facing a total bill of £10.7 million.

After the riots the police authority raised its share of the Council Tax by a record-breaking 24.5 per cent to help pay for the operation.

Councillor Burns-Williamson said: "This is good news for us and I have written a letter of thanks to the ministers.

"During our consultation over the budget we found that what the public wanted to see was more front-line police officers. We set the council tax rise at 14. 9 per cent so we could recruit an extra 250 officers.

"We had not budgeted for more PCSOs but, obviously, at the time we did not know about this £1 million."

The authority agreed yesterday to use £300,000 from the Goverment hand-out to provide 100 more PCSOs.

The extra officers could be used to patrol transport centres, problem bus and train routes and schools in West Yorkshire. The extra funding was today welcomed by the area's MPs.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh, whose constituency bore the brunt of the riots, said: "I am very pleased about this news.

"I could never see why Council Tax payers should bear the cost of the disturbances."

The Labour backbencher pledged to continue pressing the Home Office for extra cash to pay for riot damage.

Keighley MP Ann Cryer, a Labour backbencher, said: "It was grossly unfair that Council Tax payers had to foot the bill for the riots, which became a major national disaster. I think this should cover the shortfall in cash caused by needing extra police."

A Home Office spokesman said: "This is the final settling of the bill. West Yorkshire took a little bit of time getting some of the bills and documents to us, but once these were deemed in order we could make the payout."