A FORMER day care centre in Menston is becoming a target for thieves while council chiefs seek a developer for the site, it has been claimed.

Since the Heather Court day centre on St Peter's Way, closed in October last year, owner Bradford Council has been marketing the site, and has been in negotiations with bidders.

Ilkley parish councillor Audrey Brand said she believed that Bradford is now close to finding a developer for the site.

But she says Heather Court is now looking unsightly, and has been targetted by thieves, who have already stolen Yorkshire stone from a wall at the centre.

Coun Brand said: "It's looking totally disreputable. They've got 'for sale' signs up, and they've all been blown down. All the stone has been taken off the top of the wall."

She said the village had suffered occasional problems with thieves stealing stone from walls in the village, and added that the fact the building looked uninhabited, attracted more thieves.

Coun Brand has informed police about the thefts, and asked them to keep a closer eye on Heather Court.

However, she added that the village is also keen to see the eventual development of Heather Court for benefit to the community.

The council hopes to see specially-designed units for the elderly built on the site, which would be kept at 'affordable' prices.

And Coun Brand also hopes the site will directly benefit Menston.

The council's guideline price for bidders was said to be around £700,000, but Coun Brand believes offers may have reached up to double that figure.

Around £60,000 was spent on the revamp of Menston Hall, which took over the day centres formerly provided by Heather Court, and prior to the closure of the court, residents at a Menston neighbourhood Forum had asked for more of the money from the sale to be pumped back into Menston Hall.

Councillor Brand said she would like to see some of the housing units at Menston Hall improved. There are ei