It seems that Allerton couple Terence and Barbara Binns and their neighbours have been shifted out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire by a Council measure aimed at improving the quality of life for them.

It was no doubt with the best of intentions that the Council created mounds and ridges of stones and rubble on a grassed area close to their Allerton homes. As in other parts of Bradford, there had been problems with travellers and joyriders making improper use of the land. These "earthworks" were the first stage of a plan designed to deter them.

Unfortunately it seems to have gone wrong. Mr and Mrs Binns now report that six weeks on the mounds of earth are moving ever closer to their front door. And far from being deterred by the mounds, joyriders are using the area as a dumping ground for vehicles, which they then burn out.

In addition, the stones are being used by gangs of youths as ammunition to hurl at each other as they turn the site into a battleground.

It is clearly right that the Council is talking to its contractors about moving on to the next phase of the project as soon as possible, adding topsoil to cover up the rubble and seeding the mounds and ridges. However, while that might well make the area more attractive to look at, there is no guarantee that it will be a full solution to the problem.

That can only come from the local community working with the police and the local authority to put a stop to the activities of the joyriders.