A POLITICAL row has erupted over the "deeply concerning" rise in the number of pupils in the Bradford district missing out on places at their favoured secondary schools.

Newly-released Labour analysis of Government figures shows a 29 per cent increase in children in the district not being allocated any of their top three preferences, up from 515 in 2014/15 to 663 this year.

There were a total of 7,127 secondary school applications across the district, with 9.3 per cent of those applicants not being allocated any of their first three choices.

It is the sixth highest such figure in the country, and constitutes a "broken promise" by Prime Minister David Cameron, according to Bradford's Labour MPs.

But The Department for Education (DfE) responded last night by stating that £69 million was invested to support schools in Bradford between 2011 and 2015, with a further £20 million committed to support the new school places needed across the district up to September 2018.

Judith Cummins, Labour MP for Bradford South, described the figure, said to be the highest among any local authority across Yorkshire and the Humber, as "deeply concerning."

"Despite David Cameron repeatedly saying that parental choice was one of his priorities, the number not being allocated any of their top three choices is unacceptable," she said.

"Local authorities are being left in an impossible position by a government sitting back doing nothing about rising populations and ever-increasing pressures on school places.

"Even worse, rather than addressing the shortages of school places and teachers in places like Bradford, David Cameron is instead persisting with his pet project of free schools which only serves to further drain resources away from us, making the situation worse."

But Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, said: "Judith seems to have forgotten that the allocation of school places is a function of the local authority.

"If she is saying that her Labour council are incapable of making a decent fist of the job, then I suggest the Labour party stands aside and let the Conservative councillors sort it out.

"It is amazing how Bradford Council always think everyone else is to blame for all their inadequacies and it is never their responsibility."

Imran Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East, said the district was "in the midst of a school places crisis."

"This is a situation that can only impact negatively on children’s educational progress, and that is the very last thing that Bradford needs," he said.

"This government refuses to see the problems that exist in our schools and continues to push its free schools experiment that does nothing to help Bradford’s children.

"I will continue to demand that this government provides the extra resources we need for more school places, and will continue to work for a Bradford Challenge so we can start to improve attainment for all our children."

Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, said the Conservatives were "systematically letting our children down" through the free schools policy.

"If the government doesn’t take urgent action, we will have a big problem on our hands," she said.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, portfolio holder for education on Labour-led Bradford Council, said the authority needed to find the money to build the equivalent of two new secondary schools to cope with demand.

"I was very disappointed when our funding from national government for school places was reduced from £9.6 million to just £700,000," she said.

"We’ve added another £700,000 to this from council funding, but this still obviously falls short of what we were anticipating.

"We’re working hard to make sure we have school places available in the right places, but obviously need government support to achieve this."

In response to Labour criticism, a DfE spokesman said: "To support schools in Bradford we have invested £69million between 2011-15 to help create more than 5,000 new primary places, and 4,500 new secondary places.

"A further £20million has been committed to support the new school places needed in Bradford all the way up to September 2018.

"There are seven free schools open in Bradford which, when full, will provide more than 945 primary school places and 3,550 secondary school places, giving parents more choice than ever before."

Mr Cameron vowed yesterday that he would "not waver" in his commitment to open 500 new free schools over the next five years - creating 270,000 school places across the country - claiming it would give parents more choice while challenging existing schools to "up their game."

They will join 252 free schools already open, and the 52 new ones opening their doors as schools head back this week, bringing the total number of free school places created since 2010 to more than 236,000.