All tonsil removal operations have been postponed in Bradford, with health chiefs warning of delays for those on the waiting list.

Surgeons have been ordered to suspend all tonsillectomies at Bradford Royal Infirmary following concerns that the procedure could transmit the deadly new-variant CJD disease.

They revealed that the move would see the existing 250-strong waiting list grow by ten to 15 operations each week.

A national report has concluded the human form of mad cow disease could be spread through contaminated instruments coming into contact with lymphoid tissues in patients' throats.

Mr Charles Vize, head of ear, nose and throat services at BRI, explained that the normal sterilisation process did not clear instruments of the disease's infectious properties.

He stressed that although the chance of contracting CJD through a tonsillectomy was "very, very remote", NHS and private hospitals across the country had postponed operations until new one-use disposable instruments were introduced.

"There are only four companies which produce these and because of the large-scale demand, it will take them a little while to get up to steam," he said.

The first consignment should arrive at BRI in April, he said, adding that tonsillectomies - between ten and 15 a week - would be delayed until then, extending the waiting list.

Mr Vize said: "In certain serious cases, such as when there is a cancer suspected, the operation will still be carried out. However, this will have an impact on the size of waiting lists and the Government's targets of reducing them."

But he added that surgery time freed by tonsillectomy cancellations would be used to clear waiting lists for patients awaiting other ear, nose and throat operations.

"When the instruments are introduced we will then be able to transfer this time back to tonsillectomies to help clear the backlog."

And he said Government funds might be made available for extra surgery at weekends to reduce the waiting even further.

A spokesman for the Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust stressed only planned, non-emergency surgery was being postponed.