Bradford's park rangers have helped to net 70 youngsters in their first operation to cut truancy in the district's schools.

Another blitz is planned over the next few weeks, using the rangers as the "eyes and ears" of the areas they cover.

The rangers have worked with police and educational social workers in two operations over the past few weeks.

The blitz is part of the wider range of duties the rangers will now undertake, as well as patrolling the parks. They will also slap £25 fixed-penalty notices on people who drop litter in the parks.

Today the part they played in the anti-truancy operations was praised by the chairman of the education scrutiny committee Councillor Elaine Byrom.

But she criticised the "couldn't-care- less attitude" of some parents as their children stayed off school.

Coun Byrom said the part played by the rangers would strengthen the relationship within agencies working on truancies.

But she said: "Some parents don't know and don't care about this. The children are also in danger when they are alone in the streets and parks, as well as missing education."

Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq, chairman of the environment scrutiny committee which had agreed a wider role for the park patrollers, described the move as wonderful.

Executive member for education Councillor David Ward said: "We are doing all we can possibly do to improve standards in schools. But the really important thing is getting pupils into schools."

Recreation officer Barrie Tinker said the rangers had been the "eyes and ears" but police officers had detained the youngsters.

The district's truancy rates are dropping, but are still among the highest in the country.

In secondary schools, two per cent of absence is caused by truancy, while 7.5 per cent is authorised.

Primary schools have a 5.9 per cent absence rate, 0.9 per cent of it unauthorised.