Burglary victim Tariq Mahmood has become the 1,000th person to have his home secured by a rapid response service.

The father-of-five returned from work to find his house in Upper Rushton Road, Bradford Moor, Bradford, ransacked by raiders.

After the crime was reported to the police Gary Smith and Kevin Alderton from the SPEED project secured the property with new window and door locks.

Mr Mahmood, 37, said: "I was very upset after discovering the break-in but the after lads had been round it gave me real peace of mind and I felt like the house was secure again."

The SPEED project - Securing Property Effectively, Economically and Daily - has just celebrated its first year in operation.

And the 1,000th job is an important milestone for the service which was "invented" at a meeting in Eccleshill Police station by the then Chief Superintendent Dave Collins.

Its aim was to help anyone living in the Newlands area of the city to secure their homes against the threat of burglary or repeat attacks if they had already been burgled.

Pensioners and people on benefits and income support do not have to pay for the service and workers only pay for the parts fitted.

The project's first annual report shows that between November 1, 1999, and October 31, last year, the project had smashed its targets for the number of community safety initiatives it has set up.

Gareth Logan, who took over from PC Jez Moore as SPEED's managing director for 2001, said: "SPEED has gone from strength to strength. It's a vital community service for people living in the Newlands area.

"It has helped reduce the fear of crime. The number of repeat burglaries, where burglars target the same properties again and again, have also fallen dramatically. People feel more secure in their properties, especially the elderly."

SPEED is a registered charity which was set up with £150,000 from the Newlands Partnership.

Other backers are the Newlands Local Enterprise Project, Polar Ford, CGU Insurance, the Halifax and Bradford Council.

But new funds are needed and its directors are due to meet this week to discuss future financial strategies.