A senior Bradford councillor claims schools and parents are being forced to manipulate admissions procedures because of a “rotten” school place system.

Councillor David Ward, education spokesman for Bradford Council’s Liberal Democrat group, believes fraudulent applications are commonplace – a claim refuted by the local authority.

The annual report on school admissions arrangements published yesterday by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator calls for people who lie about their home addresses to be more heavily punished, possibly through the courts.

Coun Ward said: “Of course it happens and the truth is schools do it as well. Everyone is doing it because of the ludicrous system that rates schools in pure raw, absolute terms.

“It can’t be condoned but we are almost in a situation where we are forcing parents and schools to manipulate admissions criteria so, first of all, parents can get their children in the best schools and second, the best schools are trying to get the best children.

“The whole system is rotten and it’s forcing decent people into being cheats.”

But Sue Colman, the Council’s assistant director for learning services, said: “We don’t consider that fraudulent or misleading applications are a problem in this area. Although there are occasions where it might occur, we have robust procedures in place for checking applications.”

Councillor Ralph Berry, education spokesman for the Council’s Labour group, called for vigilance and said the solution was better schools.

“People are always going to try to do this but the main issue is to make sure all schools are of adequate quality,” he said.

Coun Ward said the admissions system should be overhauled.

“If we want to be totally radical we have to have a true, comprehensive system looking at a balance of intakes, including children from deprived backgrounds and those who have special needs, but no politician is going to stand up and say that because of fear of upsetting middle class voters.”

e-mail: ben.barnett@telegraphandargus.co.uk