ILKLEY has emerged as a hotspot for the number of first-warning letters sent out for anti-social behaviour.

The yellow letters - in a nod to football yellow cards - are a first warning from the authorities about behaviour such as littering, graffiti, abusive language or noise nuisance.

Persistent anti-social behaviour can see people handed red letters or asked to sign acceptable behaviour contracts.

New figures reveal more than 1,000 first-warning letters for anti-social behaviour have been handed out across the Bradford district in the past three years: 528 in 2014, falling to 443 in 2015 and 248 so far this year. Hotspots over the last three years are the Eccleshill ward in Bradford where 145 letters have been sent to people over the three years, followed by 100 in Bowling and 79 in Ilkley. By contrast, no letters have been sent to anyone in the Wharfedale ward, which includes Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston and just five in the Craven ward, which includes Addingham.

The figures have been revealed after a request to Bradford Council by Liberal Democrat councillor for Idle and Thackley, Dominic Fear. But he said the results didn’t seem to tally with what he understood to be areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour, leading him to suspect that they were being handed out in some areas more readily than others.

He said: “If that’s the way to police anti-social behaviour, then it’s got to be done consistently. It’s got to be done for everyone.”

Ilkley ward councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) said 55 first warning letters had been handed out in Ilkley this year, ahead of Eccleshill with 34, Idle with 25 and Tong, 16. Just three have been handed out in Bradford city centre.

"It isn't a desirable thing but what it does show is that when there has been pressure, there has been a response and that is the important thing," said Cllr Hawkesworth. "It is a strong message to an unruly element that we don't appreciate such behaviour. It is not welcomed here."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “The police have a variety of methods of dealing with anti-social behaviour, of which warning letters are just one.

“Quoting these figures in isolation does not in any way demonstrate the level of extent of interventions taken by the police to deal with anti-social behaviour which affects the quality of life of our communities.

“Our approach to tackling anti-social behaviour will always be one of prevention and education and there is no set quota on their use in any area – our aim is to achieve the best outcome for a community in each individual case.”