SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies has said schools need to be reopened "as soon as is possible" to stop children being the "forgotten victims of the Covid-19 pandemic".

Mr Davies said schools should be one of the first things to re-open once the top four priority groups are vaccinated to get children back into proper learning environments and to get the economy moving again.

His comments come after he, along with 11 other Conservative MPs, gave their support to the UsForThem campaign to reopen schools immediately, and calling on the Government to provide its evidence for keeping schools shut.

READ MORE: Philip Davies backs UsForThem campaign

Schools have been closed to all pupils except children of key workers and vulnerable children since January 5, the day after the Prime Minister announced a third national lockdown to tackle rising infections and hospitalisations.

It follows the closure of schools last year during the first lockdown when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit.

Mr Davies, who has represented Shipley since 2005, said: "The reason I've backed the UsForThem campaign is because, in my opinion, education is absolutely critical for children.

"It doesn't just affect them during the pandemic, but could have an effect for the rest of their lives.

"I know schools and teachers are doing their best to teach kids remotely, but that's not an adequate replacement to being in the classroom.

"It's not just the quality of the teaching, although that is vital, but also the social interactions and mental health of our children. They need to be with their friends, it's essential for their development and you can't keep them out of school month after month.

"It seems to me that children are becoming the forgotten victims of this pandemic. These children could lose an awful lot throughout their lives because of this, and it also shows the disparity between the richest and poorest, and that gap will only be widened.

"It's essential they are back in school as soon as possible. Once the first four priority groups have been vaccinated, by the middle of February we are told, from the beginning of March 88 per cent of deaths and 55 per cent of hospitalisations from Covid-19 should be prevented.

"We need to get the country going then and the first thing should be schools reopening and that's what we want to focus on, so children are not the forgotten victims."