Thousands of people from all over the region have flocked to events in riot-hit Manning-ham - proving it is not a no-go area, a business chief has revealed.

Gurdev Dahele, chief executive of Action for Business (Bradford) Ltd, which runs Carlisle Business Centre in the heart of Manningham, has reported in his annual review that it enjoyed a boom year.

He said 40,000 people attended job fairs, conferences and community events at the centre between April 2000 and March last year.

And the visitor figure of 3,500 a month was steadily maintained in the aftermath of July's disturbances.

Mr Dahele said: "I am delighted about the visitor levels. This proves that Manningham is not a no-go area."

Most of the managed workspace at the centre is used by small businesses and community and voluntary organisations. There is also heavy demand for its storage space and conferencing and training facilities.

"In fact, the only business which has moved out since summer was one which was expanding and needed bigger premises," said Mr Dahele.

He said ABL - a community-based regeneration agency which manages the centre for Bradford Council - now hopes to expand and acquire the mill from the Council which is getting rid of its properties.

ABL would then be able to collect and keep the rents from the tenants of the mill which currently go to the Council.

Mr Dahele said that would allow ABL to become a significant asset-based enterprise which could make profits and invest them in the community.

ABL chairman Gwyn Jones said at the launch of the review yesterday that staff have worked hard to sustain the confidence of organisations and businesses to continue using the centre following the riots.

But he added: "We do not consider it insignificant that despite being open and well attended until midnight on July 7, the centre did not suffer any damage, not even a broken window."

Councillor Imran Khan, chairman of Manningham and Girlington Regeneration Partnership, said today: "I think the visitor figures are excellent and are a testament to the centre and to the area.

"I think we would be fairly happy to support ABL's bid to acquire the property and like the idea of using the profits for the community."

The Council's executive member for the economy Councillor Simon Cooke said: "It is very good news that businesses and organisations still go to Manningham to use the facilities."

He said the Council is in talks with ABL about acquisition of the mills.