An MP has called for a reorganisation of Bradford's schools as the latest official figures showed seven per cent of student places were left empty last year.

The Government figures revealed 2,681 were surplus in 2006 and, although that is in line with the national average, Bradford North MP Terry Rooney believes the numbers hide complex problems.

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney said: "It is a complicated system in Bradford as there may be a surplus but inner city schools are bursting at the seams while outer areas have places.

"It is about reorganisation, but with primary schools it is hard as the schools need to be where the children are as they cannot travel miles. With secondary schools it is a bit different but not ideal.

"It is extremely difficult to predict future trends. Schools in the area have been around for decades and at the time they were in the right places but not now."

Shipley MP Philip Davies welcomed the surplus, saying it allowed parental choice.

He said: "I am not as big an opponent as other people may be, because I believe in parents having a choice of where to send their child to school.

"If there were no surplus places and every desk was full, it would take away that choice."

Nina Mewse, principal research and school planning officer at Bradford Council said the figures fluctuated because between 2004 and 2005 there was a slight reduction in the school population.

She added: "Numbers have again started to rise, particularly at primary school level. Measures have also been taken to reduce the surplus, such as finding alternative uses for the extra space in schools, using a room as a community room, a public library or for extended schools' activities such as adult education courses."

In Leeds, 2,535 places (five per cent) went unfilled in 2006, Calderdale had 877 (five per cent), and Wakefield recorded a four per cent vacancy level with 837 empty desks. Kirklees had a surplus rate of eight per cent, equivalent to 2,428 desks.

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