SAFETY fears have been voiced over popular playing fields which are eroding into a river.

Chunks of the site, at Marley, are crumbling into the Aire.

Fencing is in place, but it has been slammed as "woefully adequate".

Now calls are being made for urgent measures to protect users of the Bradford Council-owned fields.

Among those with safety concerns are organisers of Keighley Show, held annually on the land – which sits between the river and the Aire Valley trunk road. The showground layout is being amended this year to keep people away from the affected area.

The playing fields are on the site of a former tip, and worries have also been voiced about the type of waste materials that are now emerging from the eroding soil and entering the watercourse.

Long Lee resident John Lawless is one of those pushing for action.

He was at a meeting of Keighley Show when the issue was raised.

"This erosion has been going on for years but no one has done anything about it and the situation is getting worse," said Mr Lawless. "It is so dangerous.

"The fencing is woefully inadequate – there are gaps, with an immediate drop into the river.

"A lot of people, including children and dog walkers, use the playing fields. And the football pitch is fairly close to the river.

"Anyone who goes near the riverbank is putting themselves in danger. I'm seriously worried for people's safety.

"Something needs to be done urgently. It requires proper fencing and warning signs."

Mr Lawless will be standing as a Conservative candidate in Keighley East ward – which includes the Marley site – at the May council elections, but he says the issue is not a political one.

Concerns about the erosion are echoed by William Mitchell, the Keighley Show chair.

"It's the area of the field where we would normally have car parking," he said.

"We will be cordoning off that part of the site this year and shuffling things around a bit."

Bradford Council says it is monitoring the condition of the riverbank.

A spokesperson said: "Our engineers have visited the site and surveyed it to ensure it is stable in the short term.

"Officers have put up a temporary fence to warn people and prevent them from getting too close to the eroded bank and we will check the site every week to make sure it’s safe."

The Environment Agency says that in relation to waste materials entering the river, tests have indicated that risks to habitat are low.

A spokesperson said: "We are aware that bank erosion on the River Aire, close to Marley playing fields, has exposed traces of waste from a historic landfill site controlled by Bradford Council.

"Our water quality tests indicate that the environmental risk from this material is low and is not currently impacting the river habitat. However, we’re working closely with the local authority to review the site and will take action if there is significant erosion of the bank or if sampling results indicate a deterioration in water quality.

"If you notice an incident that may cause harm to the environment, please call our 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060."