A BRADFORD charity has said it is ready to shelter people if they have to be evacuated due to the ongoing tyre fire just outside the city centre.

The blaze has been raging at the go karting track in Spring Mill Street since Monday, pumping out tons of toxic smoke across the city.

Businesses and schools have been forced to close due to the smoke, as well as Bradford's courts, and it also caused major disruption on Bradford's railways.

Bradford Trident has been involved in the response from the beginning of this environmental disaster, keeping the local community updated and offering help and assistance where it can.

The charity has now said it is ready and willing to help provide shelter to nearby residents if they need to evacuate their homes because of the toxic fumes coming from the fire.

It said its Park Lane Centre and Mayfield Centre are "open and on stand-by to provide shelter should a housing evacuation be required".

Taj Salam, chair of trustees and also councillor for nearby Litle Horton, has been keeping the local community up to date since Monday, and said this disaster is a sign that tyres should not be allowed to be stored in such volumes, especially near to residential areas and a city centre.

He said: "Going forward we need to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.

"We will be working closely with the local authorities to put measures in place to keep our community safe."

Neighbourhood Resource Manager and fellow councillor Talat Sajawal has also been hard at work supporting the community.

He added: "There has been a fantastic multi-agency response to the fire and I have been working closely with them to ensure information is passed on to residents in a timely manner to keep people safe."

Any residents or businesses in the vicinity of the fire that may need support are urged to contact Bradford Trident who will provide whatever support they can.