More than 1,700 trouble families across Bradford which cost the taxpayer in excess of £130 million a year are to be targeted in an attempt to help them “turn their lives around”.

The Government will spend £450 million on 120,000 problem families in England, including an estimated 1,760 in Bradford, Prime Minister David Cameron announced yesterday.

A troubled family is one that has serious problems and causes serious problems. In every troubled family there are a range of factors including parents not working, mental health problems, children not in school, and often issues of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Councils will have to put up 60 per cent of the cash needed to help them and the Government will stump up the remaining 40 per cent – on a payments by results basis. Mr Cameron said: “Our heart tells us we can’t just stand by while people live these lives and cause others so much misery.”