A father-of-six accused of setting fire to the Manningham Ward Labour Club in the Bradford riots has told a jury he was at a secret girlfriend's home at the time.

Mohammed Ilyas, a married 48-year-old businessman, kept his relationship with Joanne Clarke under wraps and only told his solicitor three months after he was charged.

The jury at Bradford Crown Court heard that Ilyas believed he had been the victim of a mistake and he hoped it would "just go away'' without him having to bring Miss Clarke into it.

But yesterday she came into the witness box to confirm the relationship and tell the court that he had picked her up after she baby-sat for her sister on the night of the riots and stayed at her home until 1am.

The prosecution allege that Ilyas, of Prospect Road, Wapping, who runs the Supa Hand car wash business in Otley Road, was the man in an Afro-style wig caught on video trying to set light to the Labour club at 12.30am that night.

The man was then seen to put burning material through a broken window. A total of 23 staff and members were trapped inside the club when it came under attack from petrol bombers and other rioters.

Ilyas, who has no previous convictions, was arrested in 2001 and charged with arson with intent to endanger the lives of 23 people.

He has denied that charge and an alternative allegation of arson being reckless as to whether their lives would be endangered.

As part of the police inquiry a fake Afro-style wig was recovered from the car wash premises, but both he and Miss Clarke said he had bought that in Blackpool after the riots.

He confirmed that none of his family knew anything about his relationship with Miss Clarke, even though he would visit her every night. Their relationship developed after he helped her find accommodation and she also worked at the car wash for over two years.

Ilyas described how on the night of the riots he had been closing his car wash when a friend phoned and he agreed to go to the area and act as a peacemaker.

He said he changed out of his work clothes at home, but when he got to the area it was "a total mess''.

He claimed that he drove up to Eccleshill to pick up Miss Clarke and they both went to her home where he stayed until at least 12.30am.

Ilyas repeatedly denied that he was the man in the curly wig that night and said he had no reason to set fire to the club. During his police interviews Ilyas answered "no comment" to most of the questions, but he explained that he had done so on the advice of his solicitor.

On one occasion he did however expressed "the fullest sympathy" for the people trapped in the club.

He was pressed by prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC about why he had not mentioned Miss Clarke to the police and replied: "I didn't want Joanne to get involved in this business at all."

Miss Clarke conceded that she was not sure Ilyas had picked her up that night, but she had not slept at her sister's house and he was the only person who ever took her home.

The trial continues.