SCHOOLS run by Bradford's local authority are expected to have a combined surplus of £4.5million this year - but union leaders and councillors have warned that budgets will continue to be squeezed and tightened unless the Government steps in.

New research revealed a third of local authority-run schools in Yorkshire and the Humber were running at a loss.

While the figures for every school were not disclosed, Hanson School, in Sutton Avenue, Bradford, has recently racked up a budget deficit of more than £1.8 million and nine others out of 125 council-run schools will record a deficit.

However, Bradford Council figures still expect their remaining schools to have a surplus of £4.5million at the end of the 2018 financial year compared to £9.1million in 2017.

According to research carried out by Education Policy Institute, the average local authority maintained secondary school deficit also rose over the period, from £292,822 to £374,990.

Cllr David Ward, an independent councillor on Bradford Council, said: "It's a nightmare for schools and will get worse over the next few years.

"School budgets used to be protected and in the years of austerity the coalition Government pretty much protected them and the Pupil Premium, which made a radical difference to schools serving deprived communities.

"There has been rising costs in schools, like pay awards and pension contributions, so budgets are being squeezed.

"Budgets are going to get tighter and tighter."

Ian Much, a national executive of the National Union of Teachers in Bradford, said the Government needs to put more money into schools to help cash-strapped local authorities.

"The problem with Hanson School is a long term one.

"It has happened over a number of years.

"The general situation of schools running in a deficit is because the Government has frozen cash terms but the cost of running schools keeps going up.

"Education is exactly like the health service.

"They haven't taken account of the fact that demand is growing and there's more children in schools than there used to be.

"There's nothing a council or academy can do.

"It has to be down to the council.

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “It is well established that schools nationally are facing pressures on their budgets because they face rising costs, which are not being met by central Government funding.

“However on current forecasts more than 90 per cent of maintained schools in Bradford will not be in deficit at the end of this financial year.

“Ten schools out of the 125 that are maintained by Bradford Council will hold revenue deficit balances at the end of this financial year.

“Maintained schools across Bradford are forecast to hold a net total value of £4.5m in balances by the end of March 2018, reduced from £9.1m held at March 2017.

“These figures do not include academies and free schools.”