Bradford are marking the leap year in style - with new basketball coaching centres at sports and youth centres across the district.

Teams will be formed to play in a new Bradford League and will also take part in the West Yorkshire Youth Games in June.

The centres, run by qualified coaches, are aimed primarily at Year Eight boys (who are under-13 on September 1), but Year Seven boys, and girls from Years Seven to Nine are also welcome.

A girls' coaching centre is planned for later in the year.

The sessions, each costing 50p, started this Monday at Nab Wood Sports Centre (4.30pm-6pm), and continued at Parkside Youth Centre, West Bowling (Tuesdays 6.15pm-7.15pm) and Keighley Leisure Centre (Wednesdays 4.40pm).

There will also be a regular Thursday session at the TFD Centre in Holme Wood (6.30pm). Under-13 teams will be formed at each centre to play in Bradford League tournaments at Nab Wood on Saturday, February 29 and at Bradford University on Saturday, March 20.

Players at the sessions will also be able to enter trials for two Bradford teams (under-13 girls and under-14 girls) to take part in the West Yorkshire Youth Games at Leeds Metropolitan University's Beckett Park campus on Sunday, June 27.

Contact numbers at the centre are: Nab Wood (01274 567285), Parkside Youth Centre (07956 194269), keighley Leisure Centre (01535 681763) and the TFD Centre (01274 431159). The scheme is a major upgrade of what has happened over the past two years in Bradford's Council's Sports and Leisure Service's one-off training sessions and Basketball Barmy - a full day of events - in Centenary Square.

Councillor Anne Hawkes-worth, Bradford Council's executive member for the environment, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for young people across the district to get involved in this action-packed sport.

"Basketball is growing in popularity across the district thanks to Basketball Barmy and other events.

"These coaching sessions will help the district take part at a regional or even a national level.

"We may even discover a future British basketball star."