Warmer winters and wetter summers, expected in the district over the next few years due to global warming, could bring outbreaks of malaria, an environment chief has warned.

Bradford Council's senior policy officer (environment) John Bibby will tell the environment scrutiny committee next week of the expected effects in Bradford and advise how they can be minimised.

He says in his report about repercussions for the district: "There are likely to be both benefits and disadvantages to human health.

"There will be psychological benefits for a lot of people from increased hours of sunshine but there will also be an increased risk of skin cancer from over exposure to sunshine on hot days.

"We can expect certain pests to also become more of a problem. Public health experts have alerted the Government that a warmer, wetter climate could cause malaria to become a problem."

A spokesman at Bradford Primary Care Trust said there had been 22 cases of malaria last year - all of them imported from other countries.

Mr Bibby said impacts of climate change on plants and wildlife in the district were unclear.

But he added the Forest of Bradford project would help because both carbon dioxide and water were absorbed by trees when they were growing.

The district's major floods are also highlighted in his report as examples of what could happed because ofclimate change.

The committee will be told more people had to be evacuated from their homes in the floods of autumn 2001 than anywhere else in the country. The rivers Aire and Wharfe are prone to flooding and incidents have increase in recent years, Mr Bibby said.

More people in the district were using public transport, he added, but workers should be encouraged to limit the use of cars and business premises should be on routes with good public transport.

Dr Paul McWhinney, a consultant in infectious diseases and acute medicine at Bradford Royal Infirmary, also warned that global warming will contribute to conditions including malaria breaking out.

The serious illness is caused by bites from mosquitoes which flourish in tropical conditions.

The intense flu-like fever is common in regions such as South East Asia and cases are increasing.

Mr Bibby will recommend that the scrutiny committee asks for further work by the Council and its partners to develop feasible and deliverable plans to deal with the changes.