Bradford councillors will decide whether to close a cemetery lodge, despite major concerns from campaigners the move will lead to increased desecration of headstones and thefts of toys and religious ornaments from graves.

The Council’s executive is set to rule on whether to shut Utley Cemetery’s office, which dates back to 1856, to save on operating costs and make a possible £100,000 by selling the building.

Senior officers are supporting its closure against the wishes of campaigners, who raised a petition of more than 700 signatures to keep it open following a spate of vandal attacks and thefts, some from children’s graves.

Charlie Bhowmick, who has led the campaign, said: “There are graves there that are 150 years old and others which are more recent, and headstones have been damaged by these awful people.

“There have been several items put out on children’s graves by families – angels and teddy bears and other toys. One man who we spoke to on Sunday said that there were some lads who were helping themselves to some of the toys. The man challenged them and they gave him verbal abuse.

“Why they do these sorts of things is beyond our imagination. We feel that if they take this office away from this site it will double the number of vandalism attacks and thefts.”

Retired planning officer Mr Bhowmick, who collected 735 signatures for the petition, said he had had support from Bradford’s Keighley Central Labour councillors, Abid Hussain, Khadim Hussain and Kaneez Akthar.

Coun Abid Hussain, who received the petition from the campaigners in March, said: “My view is still that the cemetery building should stay as it is for the community of Keighley. People are able to discuss things with the staff there and they will not be able to if it is moved to the former library.”

A report will be discussed by the executive at a meeting at City Hall tomorrow at 10.30am.

It sets out three options – to close and sell the Utley cemetery lodge, keep the lodge office operational, or let the property to a third party.

The report states that the Council will have to pay £44,823 in maintenance costs to keep the building open. Its preferred option is to close and sell the lodge and relocate staff to the former Library Annexe in Keighley.