People have been urged to name derelict homes that have become havens for crime and fly-tipping.

Dozens of abandoned properties were nominated as "grot spots" by Telegraph & Argus readers as part of our Bin It for Bradford campaign.

Now Bradford Council wants more people to tell it about problem properties so it can take action.

Empty homes manager Martin Calvert, said: "They are an easy place for people to dump rubbish because it doesn't come back on them.

"We receive a lot of complaints from the public about empty properties because they cause so many problems for people living near them."

He said making properties secure and tracing owners were the Council's priorities when dealing with empty homes.

"Empty properties attract crime and once they have been broken into, it usually happens again and again," he said.

"We try to avoid that by contacting owners to find out their plans for the property."

He said the Council had a number of powers to force home owners to take action but the most effective approach was working with them to bring homes back into use.

"We can direct them to organisations such as Youthbuild that will buy derelict houses and renovate them."

Mr Calvert said a property in Marshfield Place, Little Horton, where a mother-of-six was seriously burned after the empty house was set alight earlier this year was a good example of what could be done.

The property has now been bought and was due to be refurbished by its new owner.

"Empty houses are a waste of resources and create eyesores but we need the public to help by reporting them to us," he said.

Among readers who have nominated derelict homes as part of the T&A Bin-It campaign is William Moore, of Falmouth Avenue, Bradford, who has complained about a property in Prospect Road, Barkerend.

He said: "It has been empty for more than a year and it is a real mess.

"I pass it when I go for a paper and once or twice I have seen rats coming out of there."

Mr Moore said the front yard was scattered with waste including carpets and mattresses.

He said: "People just dump their rubbish there. It looks terrible."

A house in Thornton was also named as a grot spot by reader Marge Wilson.

She said: "The property in Sapgate Lane was seemingly abandoned seven months ago. The back yard and garden of the house are a disgrace. It is a real health hazard and the rubbish is now blocking my own right of way."

And a group of residents, who did not want to be named, complained about an empty house in Lonsdale Street, near Pollard Park, Bradford.

One said: "The property has been unoccupied for years and it has been set on fire at least twice.

"The garden is full of rubbish and it is a real danger for the person living next door."

Anyone who wants to report a derelict house that is causing a problem should contact the Council on (01274) 437107.