The number of white people in Bradford living in fear of racist attacks is increasing, according to a new survey today.

Results of a Speak Out! survey show the proportion of white people fearing violence and abuse has risen from 15 per cent to 23 per cent in the last two years.

In comparison, the proportion of Bradford's black and Asian population fearing race crime has remained steady at 60 per cent.

Bradford Council leader Margaret Eaton said many white residents living in "fringe" areas of the district were frightened of being attacked because they felt excluded.

Coun Eaton said: "The perception is that most of the policing is done in the inner city - where it is likely there is a higher ethnic minority population - to the exclusion of other parts of the district.

"Whether that is the case or not, that is the public perception. There has been an assumption that racist attacks are carried out by one particular group, but the issue is more complex."

Tackling racial crime and racial harassment is one of six key priority action areas set out in the district's three-year Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy.

One of the targets is to increase the number of racist incidents reported to police.

The Speak Out! survey involved sending questionnaires to a panel of 2,500 people living in Bradford. The survey, carried out by Bradford Council, asked for their perceptions of crime and fear of crime.

Long-awaited results of the April 2000 questionnaires show 62 per cent of people expected to be a victim of car crime in the coming year and 49 per cent expected to be burgled.

A report into the findings notes the public perception of an increase in crime is set against falling crime figures recorded by police.

The number of crimes reported to Bradford's five policing divisions has fallen by four per cent from 62,285 in 1998/1999 to 59, 689 in 1999/2000.

Coun Eaton said one of the reasons for people's increased fear of crime was a lack of police officers on the streets.

She said: "The fact there has been a reduction in the number of officers on the streets has a major impact on people's perceptions about their safety.

"People do worry about being burgled because they here about incidents from neighbours and see stories in the newspaper about the same victim being burgled three times in 48 hours."

Other results of the Speak Out! survey showed 16 per cent of residents felt unsafe in their own homes at night, while 22 per cent felt unsafe on the streets in their neighbourhood after dark.

Almost a third of those questioned had changed their behaviour in the last two years because of the fear of becoming a victim. Nine out of ten people left lights on when they went out and 52 per cent carried less cash with them.