Bradford MP George Galloway criticised a Government minister for refusing to release a recording of a telephone conversation about financial irregularities at a Bradford free school.

Mr Galloway said that following a damning report commissioned by the Department of Education about the failings at the Kings Science Academy, which involved misappropriation of taxpayers' money, someone from the department made a call to Action Fraud, the police department which investigates allegations of financial crimes.

The call was made on April 25 – five months before the report on the school was made public.

“The Department for Education claim they don't have a note of the April conversation which, against all the available evidence, somehow resulted in no action being taken. And they don't have a recording," said Mr Galloway.

“However we now know, through questions I and other MPs have asked, that Action Fraud recorded the call. I have asked for that recording, or a transcript of it, to be made public.”

But Education Minister Edward Timpson said: “The Department does not hold notes of the telephone call to Action Fraud on April 25, 2013. The Department does not intend to make a request to Action Fraud for a transcript of any recording made by them, nor any report by Action Fraud arising from the telephone call.”