A Bradford councillor has called for an investigation into poor facilities for children attending Accident and Emergency at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, Liberal Democrat councillor for Idle and Thackley, has written to the Health Improvement Committee at Bradford Council asking it to find out why special resources for children in the department are closed.

She said: "The BRI has special facilities for children attending Accident and Emergency but these are closed and there appears to be no prospect of them opening.

"There has been pressure put on the BRI as far back as 2003 but no progress.

"The city has a higher-than-average number of children. It is very distressing if your child is ill and requires emergency treatment.

"Surely it cannot be right to add to the distress of children and their families through inadequate facilities."

The problem was first highlighted by the now-defunct Bradford Community Health Council, which found the children's casualty unit was rarely open due to staff shortages.

The separate children's area was incorporated into A&E when it had a £4 million makeover in 2000. It includes a waiting area with a pirate ship theme, play facilities and child-friendly paediatric examination and treatment rooms.

The aim is to provide a calmer and more spacious area for children and their families.

But in 2003 an audit found the area was only open a total of 48 hours in the first three months of the year. Various groups have highlighted the problem since, but with little success.

Coun Sunderland said: "Nationally, up to half of babies and a quarter of older children will attend A&E and about 25 per cent of A&E attendees are children.

"In Bradford, these numbers will be higher.

"It seems to me this is an issue that should be investigated by the Health Scrutiny Committee, especially as the National Service Framework Standards may not be being met.

"I want the committee to investigate the quality of the service provided to the children and parents of sick and injured children attending the A&E service at BRI."

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said it was always open as a waiting area and it was intended to be open as a treatment area every day between 1pm and 8pm.

"It is currently available as a treatment area for 50 per cent of that time," said a spokesman. "We are looking to extend that."