Concerns were raised today by a Bradford MP about a front-runner in the race to run the district's education services.

Nord Anglia, one of the four private companies shortlisted as a strategic education partner for Bradford Council, has already been criticised by an education watchdog over its record in the London borough of Hackney.

Labour MP for Bradford South, Gerry Sutcliffe, said he was concerned about doubts raised by Ofsted.

"We will looking closely at the previous experience these companies have had throughout the country," he said. "They must have a good track record. We cannot make an appointment for the sake of it. The future of education in Bradford is too important."

Nord Anglia was one of the first companies to win a contract to run local authority education services when it took over in Hackney.

But according to Ofsted's report "too much had happened too slowly" under Nord Anglia's leadership.

Bradford Council's executive member for education, Councillor David Ward (Lib-Dem) acknowledged the report but said the company's records were not being looked at in detail at this stage of the process: "The short- listing panel felt Nord Anglia had enough expertise to take it on to the next stage."

Mr Sutcliffe had, along with Bradford's two other Labour MPs, been supporting the late bid by public service union Unison to have its proposed community partnership included on the government's list of approved education contractors.

He said the union had not only failed to achieve this but it also been too late to persuade any of the existing contractors to work with them. But he said he hoped the principles of community involvement could still be applied.

The are three other contractors on the Bradford short list. Capita Business Limited has put in a bid with subcontractors, including the Local Government Association and the Improvement and Development Agency.

Ensign is a consortium between the Tribal Group, which provides education services such as training and Ofsted inspectors, and Group 4 which would provide management services.

The consortium is already on shortlists for contracts in two other local education authority areas - Haringey and Waltham Forest.

Serco-QAA - a partnership between management company Serco and QAA Education Consultants - are also in the running for the contract. QAA also provides training and Ofsted inspectors.

Consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers recommended the council appoint a "strategic partner" to run the majority of its education services following the highly critical report by Ofsted earlier this year.

Invitations to enter negotiations with the Council and the Department for Education are expected to be issued to the four bidders by January 15 - a month behind the timetable originally laid out by Pricewaterhouse Coopers. The contract is due to be awarded in April, with the winner taking over by the end of July.