A fire safety programme is to be carried out in Bradford schools as the cost of insurance soars.

The £500,000 scheme was agreed by Bradford Council last night as it set its budget for 2003/4.

Zurich Municipal, which insures the district's 200 schools, has increased its premium by 20 per cent to £1.21 million.

Last year there were 41 fires at schools in the Bradford district, 32 of them started deliberately. In 2001 there were 67 school fires, of which 55 were arson.

Councillor David Ward, Bradford Council's executive member for education, said he was relieved that the insurance bill had not increased even further following a shock hike in 2002/3 from £342,000 to £1 million.

"Everyone knows that it hit us like a bombshell the year," he said.

Fire insurance costs are paid by schools from their budgets allocated by the Local Education Authority.

The budgets also cover teachers' salaries, books and equipment but Councillor Ward said additional money was being given to schools to compensate for the increase.

Jane Rendle, assistant secretary of the Bradford National Union of Teachers, said the latest increase was disappointing.

"Schools have only a little more money than the minimum needed to cover the basics. It is demoralising to see this small part eroded by escalating insurance costs," she said.

And Councillor Ralph Berry, Labour spokesman for education, said he was concerned about the rise.

"Faced with a bill of this size we need to be thinking about investment," he said. "I would rather we spend money on investing in schools to reduce the risk."

The fire safety programme includes upgrading alarm systems and emergency lighting. Security is being stepped up at schools where a potential arson problem had been identified.

An arson reduction team based at Nelson Street in Bradford already works to stamp out firebugs who target schools.

West Yorkshire Fire Service carried out a survey of schools which identified £500,000 of work which needed to be done.

Assistant chief fire officer David Monks said: "Schools are very high risk buildings in terms of the likelihood of having a fire and also the consequences of a fire if it happens during the working day."