SHIPLEY Glen Tramway has been wrecked by torrential rain which has swept the shale ballast from beneath its tracks and will be closed until Easter.

Flood water which raced through Walker Wood poured on to the line at the historic tourist attraction and now the volunteers who maintain and run the historic tramway face weeks of work to make it safe to operate.

And they have made an urgent appeal for help from anyone who could lend a hand or ideally a mechanical mini-digger to help with the reconstruction.

Tramway trustee John Pitcher described what happened during the recent deluges which have hit the district since Boxing Day.

"At first we thought it wasn't too bad as the running water had covered the tracks with leaves and debris but when we cleared that away, we saw all the damage that had been done," said Mr Pitcher.

"The subterranean flow of water had carried off the ballast from beneath the sleepers which the tracks rest on which could cause the rails to break if we ran the trams over them.

"We can't risk that, so unfortunately it will have to be closed from now until Easter while we do the work, which could cost thousands of pounds.

"We are speaking to the insurance company at the moment to see exactly what the situation is.

"What we really need is someone who could offer us the use of a mini-digger to create a new trench between the tracks."

Britain's oldest cable-hauled tramway celebrated its 120th anniversary last year.

Vandalism in 1967 forced its closure and after falling into disrepair, the tramway was restored by the Bradford Trolleybus Association in 1982.

And it was fully refurbished in 2011 with a £26,000 overhaul funded by donations.

The trams were each given a new chassis and emergency braking systems, the original roofs were re-installed and the seats varnished.

Councillor Debbie Davies is an annual pass holder for the tramway and said she was saddened by the damage to the attraction which has delighted generations of families.

"It's such a shame, but at least they had their Christmas Special weekends okay, which were as successful as ever, said Cllr Davies (Con, Baildon).

"And in terms of doing the work I suppose it's a quiet time in the run up to Easter."

Councillor Martin Love, whose ward includes nearby Roberts Park in Saltaire, praised the trustees for tackling the damage.

"The tramway is run by very hard working volunteers and is hope they get proper support from Bradford Council and any emergency funds that may be available from the Government," said Cllr Love (Green, Shipley).

Anyone who can help with the track restoration work has been urged to email info@shipleyglentramway.co.uk