Bradford flat residents moved to hotels after cable theft

The incident affected the building's fire alarm system, emergency lighting, primary lighting, sprinkler system and internal water supply, the fire service says

More than 20 people remain in hotel accommodation nine days after thieves stole power cables from a block of flats in Bradford.

The cables were taken from Bradford's City Exchange building between midnight on 11 April and 09:00 BST the next day.

Up to 200 people were affected, with some forced to sleep in their cars or on friends' sofas after fire chiefs declared the flats unsafe.

Bradford Council, which is supporting tenants, said repair work is ongoing.

Following the incident West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service issued a prohibition order preventing residents returning to the building until deemed safe, saying the theft in the basement caused "extensive damage to the electricity supply".

A Bradford Council spokesperson said the local authority had provided hotel rooms for 21 people, including two couples, adding: "We have been in regular contact with the managing agency, who have not been able to update the timetable for repairs other than to say it will be into next week."

"They are aware that this will cause problems for some people and are looking at what measures can be taken to support their tenants."

West Yorkshire Police previously said they were investigating a commercial robbery at the site, with flats managers MLM Property Management "working hard to resolve it as quickly as possible".