Supermarket giant Tesco has come under fire from residents who say they are unhappy at the state of a piece of land next to one of its new stores.

Residents near the company’s Queensbury supermarket, which opened just over a year ago, say the land on nearby Wellington Street has become a “water-filled ditch” and should be grassed over with a small footpath installed.

UKIP Bradford chairman Jason Smith, of Woodlands Avenue, Queensbury, said Tesco had planted a few trees but he feared the area may become hazardous to those using it to get to the store.

He said: “Residents are unhappy with the current state of the land as it has the potential to be hazardous.

“We expected as a goodwill gesture that Tesco would make sure the area outside the store was well maintained for residents living nearby.”

Resident Stephen Hartley said: “For such a large and prosperous business the residents are not asking for much to make good of the area instead of proving us with unwanted trees and unwanted swamp.”

Councillor Paul Cromie (Independent, Queensbury) said the land was not an official right of way.

He said: “It’s always been rough and ready and obviously with the landscaping that’s gone on it’s made it a bit of a quagmire. What Tesco should have done was to block it off so people would have to walk round it on the High Street.”

Tesco declined to comment.

e-mail: hannah.baker@telegraphandargus.co.uk