Women are to be given the confidence to 'dob in a dealer' and face up to the problem of Drugs at a special information day in Bradford.

Organised by Regeneration 2000, a £28 million regeneration programme for deprived Barkerend, the event at Karmand Community Centre, Barkerend Road on Wednesday is aimed solely at women and will cover all aspects of drugs, related crime and treatment.

Ashfaq Ali Gulab, Regeneration 2000's European pact co-ordinator, said women played a key role in the family and were often seen as approachable figures.

"They will be told of the signs to look for and it may be that they are already aware of people in the family or community who are dealing or using drugs," he said.

"They may also be suffering from the effects of living with a dealer or a drug-user, and the aim of the day is to give them as much information and confidence as possible so they can then go away and spread the word."

University of Bradford students Nurgus Ayub and Shanaz Akhtar are the key organisers of the day, which will include workshops covering facts about drugs, police advice and updates on the West Yorkshire Police Dob in a Dealer operation, and information on treatments and complementary therapies.

"We have helped with a similar week-long event in Keighley which had a fantastic response and it was really effective," said Miss Akhtar, who is studying Applied Criminal Justice and has a work placement with Bradford's Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Team.

She continued: "Women, especially mothers, have a respected position in Asian families, as do fathers, but sometimes it may be the women that people tend to go to for advice. They also play a major role when it comes to teaching and learning."

Working in partnership with Bridge project and Project Six, which offer treatment to Bradford drug users and addicts, the day is supported by Bradford North Anti Crime Partnership.

Regeneration 2000's marketing manager Jane Trenholme said the problem of drugs had to be targeted to ensure effective regeneration of the area.

"If the area is known to have drug-related problems how can businesses be attracted?" she said.

Mr Gulab said if the event, which is scheduled to run from 10.30am to 2pm and includes lunch, was successful he hoped it could be rolled out to other parts of the community.

Places are limited to 60 and a creche will also be provided.