An MP from the district has demanded the Child Support Agency chase absent fathers who are not paying, and stop hounding those who do for more cash.

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said millions of pounds is outstanding in unpaid child payments, mainly from absent fathers, but the agency seemed obsessed with clawing more from those already doing the right thing.

In the Commons, he demanded the Government makes the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission – the former Child Support Agency – go back to basics and focus on people who are not paying anything.

He said: “When dealing with CSA cases from constituents I get the impression the CSA has gone away from its original remit, which is to chase absent fathers. Instead, it files them under too difficult and then pursues people already paying to try and extract more money out of them.”