A businessman who wants to open an amusement centre in Shipley said he would do everything he could to keep it safe for his customers.

Steven Tomlinson, from Yeadon, has applied to convert a disused toy shop in Leeds Road into an amusement arcade with a pool table. But he stressed that teenagers using the facility would not have access to gaming machines.

Mr Tomlinson has worked in the Windhill area for the past nine years with his parents who own Tommy's Minimarket, adjacent to the empty shop. Now he is looking to start his own business and decided to open a centre which youngsters could use to meet friends and socialise.

"There is nothing for the kids around here to do," he said. "They are hanging around on street corners, smashing windows and phone boxes. This will be somewhere they can go to socialise with music and arcade machines."

Mr Tomlinson said he hoped to work with the police to create an anti-drugs display and the centre would be supervised at all times.

He said that he hoped to start a chain of such centres if the idea took off. "I have spoken to the kids in the area and their parents and they are right up for it," he said.

He said he hoped the centre would attract local teenagers, aged 13 upwards.

He pledged that he would not be opening during school hours, and would probably open the centre from around 3pm until 10pm.

Plans for the amusement centre have gone to Shipley Area Planning Panel for consideration. Mr Tomlinson has yet to speak to Bradford Council or police about any licenses he may need, because he wants to obtain planning permission first.

Councillor Tony Miller (Lab, Windhill and Wrose) said that such a facility was needed in the area but he urged Mr Tomlinson to work closely with Bradford Council's youth service.

He said the idea had been tried before at Bolton Woods community centre but had failed because of some of the youths it had attracted.

"I wouldn't like to see this venture fail," he said.

"I would be happy to see the facility as long as it is safe, supervised properly and run safely.