Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford has been urged not to make Bradford a "guinea pig" as it picks itself up after the worst riots on mainland Britain for 20 years.

Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton, Labour group leader Ian Greenwood and Liberal Democrat group leader Jeanette Sunderland put their case against an elected mayor at a private meeting with the minister in London.

It followed a letter to the Council from Transport, Local Government and the Regions Secretary Stephen Byers in November saying he was "minded" to order a district-wide referendum. He recommended the Council talk with Mr Raynsford about Bradford's leadership when Home Office reports into the summer disturbances at Bradford, Burn-ley and Oldham were complete.

Mr Byers said he believed Bradford people should vote on whether they wanted to elect a first citizen to lead the district, claiming the results of a major consultation exercise on Bradford's future had been inconclusive.

He said he believed people's views had not been fully taken into account.

Today Coun Eaton said she told him that even going through the process towards an elected mayor would be de-stabilising.

"I told him I felt it was not a time to be experimenting in Bradford," she said.