Community leaders in part of Bradford have hit back at suggestions that their area is a “lawless wilderness” where violence is commonplace and community tensions run high.

Councillors who represent West Bowling are unhappy about the way the area was portrayed during a recent murder trial that revolved around a street clash in which Rashid Elahi, 21, of Ryan Street, West Bowling, was stabbed to death by Guyan Guthrie, 18, of Canterbury Avenue, Bradford.

Details that emerged during the trial prompted Councillors Ian Greenwood, Naveeda Ikram and Sher Khan to write to the judge, Mr Justice Griffith Williams, to defend their area’s reputation.

The letter said: “We are writing as the three ward councillors for the Little Horton Ward, which includes the whole of West Bowling. “There appears to be some suggestion that West Bowling is some sort of lawless wilderness where violence is commonplace and community relations are at breakdown point. We would wish to refute this. “While undoubtedly there have been a number of serious incidents in recent years, the general levels of crime and, in our view, community cohesion have improved very significantly over the last few years. “The general crime rates as measured by the Police have in recent years been below the district average, the levels of educational attainment have improved, there has been significant environmental and housing improvement and even a casual observer to the area can see that it is visually much better than many other communities in this or indeed similar districts.”

The councillors said large numbers of people and a wide range of agencies had worked extremely hard over the past few years to improve the lives of people in West Bowling and to enhance co-operation between communities. They said it was very important that positives were recognised as well as attempting to address the negatives.

The letter said: “A demonisation of the whole of West Bowling or any community within it is, in our view, wrong, misguided and untrue. “If people are accused of crimes they should, in our view, answer in the legal system for those accusations and prove their innocence or have their guilt proved. The individuals are on trial, not the community.”

The judge and barristers were puzzled by the letter and the judge sifted back through his notes.

Mr Justice Griffith Williams said he thought the letter might refer to defendant Guyan Guthrie telling the jury: “West Bowling is a place you would go armed if you wanted to fight someone.”

There was also speculation that the councillors’ letter could relate to the defendants claiming they found their knives lying on the streets in the Gaythorne Road area.

Mr Justice Griffith Williams, who had seen West Bowling for himself during a site visit with the jury, said there was no intention to give a negative impression of the area.

But Councillor Sher Khan (Lab, Little Horton) said: “We have been told that the way one of the barristers portrayed West Bowling was like it was some sort of no-go area, which is not the case.

“The crime rate is very, very low compared to some other areas.

“If we go to Bingley and Shipley and those areas, people talk about West Bowling like it’s the wild west, with some sort of cowboy culture.

“But we have been working very hard to improve the area and we all live in harmony.”

Inspector Zahid Khan, inspector for West Bowling, said: “The West Bowling community is a very vibrant and tolerant community and the people who live there are obviously from diverse backgrounds and they all live together peacefully.

“Things that have happened in West Bowling in the past year or so have been publicised in the media and there have been some serious incidents but nevertheless they are out of the ordinary.

“There have been allegations that the West Bowling area is full of gangs and that there’s a gang culture but that’s strictly not true at all.

“Every area has an element of criminality but West Bowling is an area with community spirit, people are happy to live there, crime is very low and I feel that sometimes the area gets a bad reputation that is not deserved.

“People in West Bowling are living in a very secure area from a policing point of view and, for people not living in the area, it’s an area that people can walk through freely and enjoy.”

e-mail: will.kilner @telegraphandargus.co.uk