A religious group is pursuing a court order to eject a band of gipsies from the site of a proposed school.

Since the convoy of more than 30 caravans arrived four weeks ago, neighbours have complained of littering and noise nuisance.

Nawas Khan, secretary of the Muslim Association of Bradford, owners of the Cliffe Road site, is expected to formerly lodge a request for permission to evict the group at the beginning of next week. But it could take up to a week to process the application before magistrates decide whether to grant it.

Mr Khan said: "We have no option but to go down this route, we have asked them to leave and they have refused.''

Work is due to begin on building a new home for Feversham College on the site in September. It was formerly home to the demolished Undercliffe Middle School.

Nearby resident John Mason said: "It is such a nuisance there is noise coming from the site all day and all night long. They have also made an awful mess, we do not want this near our homes."

Another neighbour, who lives off Otley Road, but asked not to be named, claimed the group were using the site as a base to sell carpets and settees.

A Bradford Council spokesman said officials had advised Mr Khan on his legal position but were powerless to act because the land is private property.

A member of the camp denied the group were operating a business but offered no explanation for the large number of settees on the site.