BRADFORD has the third highest number in the country of parents being issued with fines for taking their children out of school during term time - a rise of almost 1,500 in 12 months.

In the 2015/16 academic year, Bradford Council issued 4,985 Education Penalty Notices (EPNs), only exceeded by Suffolk County Council which issued 5,668 fines and Lancashire County Council with 5,654.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act also show the number of EPNs issued in Bradford has risen steeply over the last three years with 3,508 handed out in 2014/15 and 1,696 in 2013/14.

In 2013, then education secretary Michael Gove introduced new strict rules for parents taking their children out of school during term time with head teachers being told they could only grant leave to pupils in exceptional circumstances.

Fines were introduced of £60 per pupil for taking term time holidays without permission, rising to £120 if not paid within 21 days.

The value of the EPNs to Bradford Council if they are calculated at £60 each if paid within 21 days was £299,100 during 2015/16. The figures also show that a total of 498 of the 4,985 fines were withdrawn in that academic year.

Councillor Imran Khan, the council’s portfolio holder for education, said: “Bradford Council aims to ensure that all children attend school as regularly as possible to give them the best chance to receive the education they deserve.

“It uses its full range of supportive and enforcement duties to ensure parents fulfil their responsibilities in line with national arrangements.

“There are a range of complicated legal reasons why fines are withdrawn. It would not be correct to state that this is simply because a period of 28 days has passed.”

Councillor Debbie Davies, the Conservative group’s education spokesman, called the figures “quite shocking”.

She said: “It is a big concern. The number of weeks off for children is perfectly sufficient for holidays.

“There should be shorter summer holidays, they would make a massive difference. Children should be in school.”

Councillor David Ward, the Liberal Democrats education spokesman, said: “You can’t condone it as every single day lost in school is important to a child’s education, but because of the ridiculously long school summer holiday, parents are being forced to do it.”

National Union of Teachers’ spokesman Ian Murch said the rise must have been down to greater enforcement.

“It is interesting that there is a very high difference between the two years,” he said.

“A well-off family will pay the fine but a poor family may be crippled by the fines.”