Former film-maker and producer Lord Puttnam has launched an attack on officials who refused to place Bradford on the shortlist to become European City of Culture.

As chairman of the Partnership Board behind the city's bid, he said he was "gutted" and described the decision not to list the city as "a big knock".

Lord Puttnam made his comments while visiting a school in Bradford.

The successful English cities were Oxford, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and a joint Newcastle/Gateshead bid.

Lord Puttnam said: "I think the panel made a real mistake.

"It seems to me to be a hopeless lack of appreciation of the fact that there is no future for the UK unless a place like Bradford can be given a real chance to shine and to improve multicultural Britain in the future."

Puttnam was "gutted"

He dismissed suggestions that last year's riots were having a lasting negative affect on the city.

"Bradford had made very clear in its plans that was behind us.

"The whole point of the City of Culture was to make absolutely sure it stayed behind us."

And he added it was important partnerships made during the bid were left intact.

"My job and the job of everyone else who worked on the City of Culture is to keep that determination up, to keep those coalitions in place and to make sure we show the panel that made the decision that they were totally wrong in not short-listing Bradford."

Bradford Council and its partners have said they will press ahead with a range of major projects that formed part of the district's Capital of Culture bid.