POLICE were called out to schools in the Bradford district 1,192 times in the past year - the equivalent of three call outs a day.

The reasons range from sexual assault to fraud to "animal related problems."

The number is up from the previous year, when police were called to schools 1,145 times.

The Telegraph & Argus received the figures through a Freedom of Information request, and they relate to the period from November 2013 to October 2014.

One of the highest numbers of call outs were under the classification "concern for safety" - with West Yorkshire Police sending out officers on 158 occasions.

Several of the call-outs were to Carlton Bolling College, where hundreds of people attended protests outside the school gates in September. It followed a member of staff being disciplined for allegedly posting offensive comments on Facebook. Over the course of several days there were numerous protests outside the school, with officers attending to keep the peace.

There were 87 call outs regarding burglaries on school grounds, 30 criminal damage call outs and 200 responses to anti social behaviour.

Police were called out four times to problems involving pets at schools, and once for a wild animal. An additional six call outs were logged under "animal related problems."

There were also ten call outs were for alleged sexual crimes, 34 for missing persons, two for firearms, four for drugs and 55 for violence against a person.

The wide ranging classification of "suspicious circumstances" led to 240 call outs.

Some of the calls were not directly linked to the school - in one, officers responded to reports of a serious sexual assault on a road near St Matthew's Primary school on March 25. Police say that allegation was never proved. Another, a fatal traffic accident in June, involved a motorcyclist who died after crashing near Oxenhope Primary School.

One call out, involving Action Fraud, is thought to be the arrest of former Kings Science Academy principal Sajid Raza on suspicion of fraud last January. Mr Raza is due to answer his bail later this month.

Councillor Ralph Berry, executive for children's services at Bradford Council, pointed out that there were almost 200 schools in Bradford, and that a number of call outs by police was to be expected. He added: "One thing we are very good at in Bradford's schools is linking with the police. Each school has a police liaison that they can contact with any issues, and the school knows exactly who to contact.

"If the school knows exactly who to speak to they can then better take their advice.

"Sometimes these call outs are for things like parental behaviour. There are a whole range of issues behind these figures."

Cllr Debbie Davies, Conservative spokesman for education, said: "It is a high number. I'm hoping that schools are only calling police when it is totally necessary. At first you look at the figures and thing 'god that's high' but a lot of these can probably be explained."