A councillor wants surveillance cameras fitted at a cemetery where a sickening trail of grave vandalism happened on Mothers Day.

Keighley Councillor Irene Ellison-Wood is to seek cash from Bradford Council to install closed circuit television at Utley cemetery.

Youngsters aged between ten and 12 years old are suspected of attacking the memorials and headstones at Keighley's largest cemetery.

Keighley police are investigating the vandalism in which up to 100 graves were wrecked.

Headstones, crosses and plinths were knocked over and smashed.

Cllr Ellison-Wood reckons the cost of the damage could be as much as £12,000.

She has been down to see the devastation for herself.

"It is evil and sick to attack the elderly and disabled, but I can't find words to express my feelings about people who do this - there is no word strong enough for them. It was a shocking sight, especially in one area," she said.

She understood that the culprits were youngsters, aged between ten and 12, who had attacked the graves over the last couple of weeks.

She is to seek cash help from Bradford City Hall to fit closed circuit television at the main entrance in a bid to identify the attackers. She added: "I am astonished that children that age would contemplate this sort of thing.

"If it happened to the grave of one of my relatives I would be extremely distressed."

Taxi driver John Kirkby, of Keighley Transport Watch Group, said much of the damage had happened on Mothers Day. "I went down to visit my mother's and grandmother's graves. I saw between 60 and 70 graves knocked over and damaged - it was gruesome," he said.

"I saw an elderly woman standing by a grave that had been pushed over and she was crying. I was so sickened I could have cried myself. Can you image what it must have been like to go down there on Mothers Day and see that?"

Bradford council has pledged to step up the number of times motorcycle rangers visit the Victorian cemetery.

A council spokesman said grave owners would be contacted and action taken to re-erect the memorials.

A damage assessment programme was also to take place and and information was sought from the public.

Anyone who can help is urged to telephone Keighley police on 01535 617051 or the ranger service on 01274 752696.