Mum-of-eight Tracy Pounder got so fed up with unruly youngsters wrecking the estate where she lived that she enlisted the help of other mothers to open up a shop as a drop-in centre.

This week Mrs Pounder, 42, and her mums' army opened the doors of 68 Blackstone Way for the first time.

Youngsters aged as young as five can call round and have fun after school and at weekends and teenagers are very welcome too, she says.

The mums on Wyke's St Mary's and Shirley Manor estate got in touch with Bradford Community Housing Trust for help and were allowed to rent the empty property as a community space.

And to help celebrate its official opening, Mrs Pounder has invited along some Bradford Bulls players to do the honours on Bank Holiday Monday.

She said: "As mums we know only too well what children are like, how easily they get bored and what can happen next.

"They start hanging round and getting in to bother.

"The idea of the centre is to keep them busy, give them a safe place to go and meet up with friends."

Anna Fryer, the housing trust's director for South Bradford, said: "We are delighted to support this group through our Intouch Partnership Agreement, which aims to encourage residents and tenants' associations to play a key role in improving life in their community.

"It also reflects our commitment to put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We have provided the group with the use of the community shop at Blackstone Avenue to run different activities for local people.

"The trust has also provided them with a small start-up grant.

"Staff at South Bradford Community Housing Trust are keen to work in partnership with residents' groups across the area."

The Intouch scheme helps to fund community projects. Other successes include the Indulge Cafe on Manor Row, which has four internet workstations available for customers to use.

Each computer will be linked to the group's Intouch services in a bid to encourage tenants to get more involved with its work.