A CUTTING-EDGE cafe lounge and bakery giving recovering Bradford addicts a second chance at life opens to the public on Monday.

Forks, in North Parade - recognised as the up and coming Indie Quarter - is a ground-breaking social enterprise getting people who have quit drugs and alcohol back into work.

About 50 hospitality and catering recruits who have successfully been through treatment making their abusive past history, will pass through its doors every year learning skills on the job and getting qualifications at the city's Forster Community College which will help them build a new start.

Run by The Bridge Project, all the profits made by the self-sufficient business will be ploughed back into the £400,000 scheme.

"Up until now drug treatment services in Bradford have been about providing health care, medication and counselling but we have reached a stage now where treatment needs to be more about people just quitting.

"People want to move on to the next stage of their lives - Forks will get them there," said the charity's chief executive Jon Royle .

"We are seeing more and more people getting through their treatment in Bradford and they want the fundamental things we all want - a family, friends, qualifications, a place to live, a job, a few quid in their pocket.

"Working at Forks will help them build that, put them through college, get work experience, get skills, qualifications and a reference. This is a cutting edge, innovative, ground-breaking project. Our service has to evolve into integrating people into society," he added.

He said Forks was out to change a shocking statistic that only 20 per cent of people in drug treatment in England are currently in work and added: "In my experience people who have given up drugs and alcohol have qualities like passion, motivation and loyalty - they make fantastic employees."

To make Forks happen The Bridge Project charity had to get a mortgage for the building and put its own reserve funds into the pot and a £138,000 grant from Bradford Council's City Centre Growth Zone fund also helped it on its way.

Every year The Bridge Project helps about 2,000 people, last year more than 300 people left the project completely drug and alcohol free having overcome their dependencies - at any one time there are 2,800 people in drug treatment in the city.

Trainee opportunities at Forks are open to anyone in Bradford who is clean from their drug or alcohol problems, help to find permanent employment will continue once the work placement ends.

Initially Forks will open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm before exploring possibilities of the night time economy.

As well as serving up locally-sourced food and drinks, it will run a sandwich-delivery service and offer up two function rooms for private parties and corporate events.

"We have to compete with similar businesses and to do that we have to offer customers a great venue, terrific food and drink, smart staff and a fantastic service. We can do it," said Mr Royle.