Youths in Steeton have been accused of using mentally ill patients to buy them alcohol.

The allegation was made at a Steeton with Eastburn Parish Council meeting by Councillor John Weller.

He told the council: "I have had reports that some people are targeting patients from the Willows to get drink for them."

But Sean O'Hanrahan, manager of the Willows Independent Hospital, said he had spoken to patients and they denied buying alcohol for other people.

He said: "I am going to have a review today of all the patients but so far there is absolutely no evidence to suggest they have been doing this.

"If it had been the case that some of the patients had been buying alcohol for other people then they would have said when I asked them."

Sgt Darren Minton, from Keighley neighbourhood policing team said that he had not been made aware of the problem but would look into it.

He did however maintain that tackling binge drinking was very high on the priority list for Steeton and Silsden, as it was for the whole of the Keighley area.

He said: "It is something we are trying to crack down on at the moment. It is not only a problem here but across the country and we would urge anyone who knows of people who sell drink to underage people to come forward with that intelligence.

"Steeton and Eastburn have gone quite quiet since the end of last year."

Meanwhile, Mr O'Hanrahan is holding a meeting to investigate the claims that his patients are buying alcohol for underage youths.