A safe-house project for Bradford drug users is warning it might have to abandon the city's addicts if it wants to survive.

The Agape Project runs two houses for 21 young men, offering the district's only supported housing project specifically for drug users, who get their treatment elsewhere.

One is in Idle and one in Thackley.

Agape's director Sue King says unless it gets more cash and recognition from fund-givers at referral agencies and Bradford Council, it will be forced to sell its bed-spaces to other authorities like Leeds and Wakefield.

Mrs King said the project costs £450,000 a year but the only help they get, from Bradford Council's Supporting People fund, leaves them £30,000 short.

The shortfall is eased by clients' housing benefit but the Project, which has been running for 11 years, is still left with thousands of pounds more to find itself from well-wishers.

"None of the cash we get is to pay for the activities we do and the vehicles we need. We don't get any help for the drug testing kits that cost us £15,000 a year, we get no help from the primary care trusts for that. Our staff haven't had a pay rise for three years now and we are losing some good workers," said Mrs King, who set up the Project with her husband James, who is pastor at Idle's Church On The Way.

They were inspired by their experience with a foster son and his friends who were addicts and wanted help to ditch drugs.

Mrs King added: "We have always supported Bradford lads. There's a lot of money that comes into Bradford for drug treatment but we don't seem to see any of it. Our main referral agencies, who we have some wonderful relationships with, get cash from the city's Safer Communities Fund and its adult drug treatment programme but we get nothing.

"Sadly we are at the stage we are having to think about offering our beds outside of the Bradford area to authorities who will gladly pay for all the help and support we offer.

"We have 45 Bradford men on our waiting list at the moment but are always taking calls from other authorities wanting us to take their people in."

Project manager Solomon Mbye said: "We do so much for the city, we take these men off the streets out of danger and help cut crime. We do all this yet but we don't get the recognition for it which could have tragic consequences for Bradford, it will lose out."

Anne Flanagan, the commissioning manager for substance misuse for Bradford's joint PCTs, said: "The Agape project provides housing support rather than treatment facilities and so is funded from routes other than the NHS such as the Supported People Programme.

"However we do support the project in other ways such as through workforce development training."

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: "The Agape Project is a supported housing project and receives Supporting People funding through the local authority. The Project is also supported in other ways by the Adult Treatment Joint Commissioning Team through training and development."