LIBERAL Democrats have accused Bradford Council's leading Labour group of suppressing a highly-negative Ofsted report into one of the district's biggest schools until after the General Election for political reasons.

Lib Dem councillors have made the accusation in a newsletter that is being sent to residents in Idle, Bolton and Eccleshill, and will tomorrow be grilling top councillors on how they have dealt with Hanson School in Swain House in recent years.

The Labour Councillor in charge of education in Bradford has called the accusation "odd" and said it "shows little understanding of how education works."

Hanson School, which has over 1,700 pupils, was placed in special measures in June after a critical Ofsted report found the school inadequate.

The inspectors visited the school in February, and Lib Dem councillors claim the delay in the report being released was an effort by Labour councillors to "protect senior councillors" in May's election.

Criticisms of the school included in the Ofsted report were that behaviour was poor, and in some areas even adult staff didn't feel safe.

A Lib Dem leaflet being sent to houses in the school's catchment area says: "Despite these serious concerns about safety the council decided to challenge the report which effectively delayed its publication until after the General Election. They will not provide an answer as to why, when nothing in the report was changed. We can only guess that it was to protect senior Labour Councillors standing for election."

At a full council meeting tomorrow Councillor Rachel Sunderland, (Lib Dem) who represents Bolton and Undercliffe, will ask what actions the council had taken to improve the school over the last five years, and what actions the council took to address safeguarding issues first by parents in November, three months before the inspection.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe (Lab), executive member for education on the council, said that councils did not have the power to delay reports, adding: "It's an odd accusation to be honest. The thought that we, Bradford Council have any control over Ofsted, a national regulatory body, shows little understanding of how education works these days.

"Ofsted's publication of reports is outside of our control, when they publish them is purely a matter for Ofsted."

The Lib Dem leaflet also points out other schools that have been given negative Ofsted reports in the past two years, including Tong High School and Carlton Bolling College.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council, said: "The leadership shown by Bradford Council's Labour Executive over the last five years is poor. To have one Secondary School judged to be inadequate is bad; to have so many is shocking. We've had enough of Labour's handling of education in Bradford."

The full council meeting takes place at City Hall at 4pm tomorrow.