A counselling service for people who feel they are of the wrong sex is being set up in Bradford.

Trained counsellor Louise Wheatcroft is offering advice and counselling to transsexuals as she says there is little, if any, available.

Miss Wheatcroft's group, West Yorkshire Gender Counselling, received funding for a publicity leaflet from a special group within West Yorkshire Police which aims to encourage the lesbian, gay and transgender communities to report crimes against them.

She can counsel people who believe they are of the wrong sex - as well as helping to talk the issue through with their families at what can be a difficult time.

And she believes it is important people with expertise in this area counsel people.

"We have found that the mental health and medical professions can treat it as homosexuality, people who aren't trained to see the differences can start trampling round in their mind and cause more trauma," said Miss Wheatcroft.

She added that some people who had surgery to change their gender experienced an anti-climax once the operation was completed because they had been working towards that point for years, and when it arrived it could not live up to expectations.

Miss Wheatcroft also offers training on the issues for individual employers or groups of staff.

Rosemary Turner, administrator at national charity The Gender Trust, said there was no counselling available on the NHS.

"It helps if the counsellor has experience and they know what's going on in this person's life," she said.

There are believed to be between ten and 12 sex change operations performed in the UK every week.

l Anyone who wants to contact Louise Wheatcroft should telephone (01274) 691043 or 0771 428 1794. The Gender Trust's information line is on 07000 790347.