Schools are being turned away from Hindu temples in a row over a vacancy at Bradford Interfaith Education Centre.

And members of religious groups in the city are concerned that the situation could be detrimental to race relations.

The row escalated after the retirement of the full-time Hindu Dharma Faith Tutor at the centre in January. A part-time post also became vacant in March.

But Bradford Council has frozen the vacancies and members of the Hindu Education Council are concerned the staff will not be replaced.

Krishan Kumar Mittal, chairman of the Hindu Education Council, said: "We have been doing all the temple visits voluntarily from our community. The Hindu community was magnanimous in offering help to fill in the gap voluntarily until the end of March, on a clear understanding that the posts will be filled from the beginning of April."

The matter was taken up by members of Bradford Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE).

Mr Mittal said: "This is considered detrimental to good race relations and a violation of the equal opportunity policy of Bradford Council.

"In these circumstances the Hindu Education Council has decided to withdraw their co-operation, very reluctantly. Members of the Hindu community and the places of worship will not be available for school visits and other visits arranged by the IEC until our grievances are redressed."

At the SACRE meeting a resolution was proposed and seconded by non-Hindu members to be passed to education leaders on Bradford Council saying it 'deplores the failure of Bradford Department of Education and Schools to appoint to the vacant post of Hindu Faith Tutor at the Interfaith Education centre'.

The centre confirmed that at the moment there were four Muslim tutors, two Sikh tutors and one Christian, some of them part-time.

Diana Cavanagh, Bradford Council Education and Schools Director, said: "We are aware of the concerns which have been raised by the Hindu Education Council. Following discussions with them and the head of the Interfaith Education centre, temporary arrangements were put in place to ensure that advice about the Hindu faith would still be available to schools and the Hindu Education Council are fully aware of these."

She said no decisions had been taken about the post but the budget for 2001/2.