BRADFORD Council has defended its decision to take part in a gritty documentary series about the district.

But Council bosses have said they “would have liked to see more of the positive filming” that was carried out included in the final edit.

Bradford On Duty is a five-part BBC series that shows the day to day lives of front line workers, from health visitors to police.

Bradford Council was heavily involved in the show – episodes feature council staff dealing with issues like homelessness and addiction, and Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe and Chief Executive Kersten England have featured in each episode.

The series has received praise for shining a light on the many problems facing society in Bradford and across the country.

But there have also been concerns over how Bradford in portrayed in the show.

The four of the five episodes to air so far have featured police raiding cannabis farms in former mill buildings, a shocking view of the chaos encountered by police on Bonfire Night and even a claim that cats are being lured into a derelict Manningham building and eaten by rough sleepers.

At a meeting of Bradford Council on Tuesday, one opposition Councillor asked if involvement in the show had been a good idea, considering the impression many would get of the district from watching.

Councillor Mike Pollard (Cons, Baildon) asked: “Further to the airing of Bradford on Duty, does the Leader of the Council believe that contributing to the programme was a good idea, conducive to promoting to the reputation and perception of Bradford District?”

The response from the Council Executive said: “What is seen on TV is typical of every city in the UK, Bradford is no different.

“We are one of the biggest cities in the UK, bigger than Newcastle, Bristol and Liverpool.

“Inevitably therefore good and bad things happen here.

“We are extremely proud of our staff who are profiled and feel that this programme shows the impact that 12 years of austerity has left on communities across the district, and also the country. Our staff step up and put 100 per cent into all they do to support our residents.

“The documentary shows just a few aspects of life for people in the district – not all of the filming made it into the final edit by the producers of the show and we’d have liked to have seen more of the positive filming they did, included.

“However people who live and work here know there is also so much more to us, which we showcase in other ways.”