Police may escort fearful Yorkshire Water engineers carrying out vital repairs on a major improvements scheme on a Bradford housing estate.

Officers have been forced to act after one worker was shot at with an airgun by youths behind a wave of intimidation on the Holme Wood estate.

Staff who feel intimidated will now be offered police protection at night as they continue work on the £3m water improvement scheme.

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said it was a "sad indictment" that the workers needed to be escorted to continue the year-long project, which involves laying 100 kilometres of pipes in the ground.

The police action was agreed at crunch talks between officers, residents and Councillor Mukhtar Ali at Holme Wood.

The talks were were chaired by members of the Holme Wood Executive Committee.

The meeting heard the injured worker suffered leg injuries and there had been damage to diggers and tractors.

The engineers, who have also had laser pens shone at them, fear more trouble is on the way.

Inspector Robert Southgate, of Dudley Hill Police, agreed to send officers to assist Yorkshire Water workers who felt intimidated at night.

This might involve police officers meeting workers and accompanying them to their workplace.

Insp Southgate said: "We understand serious water leaks were being left until the morning because workers didn't feel safe going there at night."

He added that escorting employees was not an unusual gesture by police.

"This isn't unique," he said. "We've had to protect workers from the utilities before."

Insp Paul Jeffrey, community safety officer for Odsal Police, said the problems were only being caused by a minority of people. Most of the residents were law-abiding citizens.

Councillor Ali (Lab, Bowling) believed police were right to back workers carrying out essential repairs.

"As long as the police have the means to keep an eye on things, then it will benefit the community.

"It is essential that this work gets completed," he said.

A spokesman for Holme Wood Executive described the meeting as positive: "We stressed it was important for Yorkshire Water to inform residents and schools about the dangers of damaging or interfering with the water repairs."

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