Claims that hundreds of young girls have been taken off school registers in Bradford because they have gone missing while on trips abroad have been dismissed.

MPs were told 250 girls aged 13 to 16 were taken off school rolls in Bradford in 2006 because they failed to return from abroad.

However, a spokesman for Education Bradford rubbished the claim in a statement.

"Bradford has robust processes in place for tracking children and young people who are missing education," said the spokesman.

"The latest figures show that between September, 2006, and November, 2007, a total of 205 children were identified as living in the Bradford district but missing education.

"This includes children and young people who move into the district and are not yet on roll, as well as those who are on roll and are not attending and their whereabouts are unknown.

"Of this number, 172 have been tracked to an alternative destination or are known to be on roll at a school. Some 33 children, out of a total school population in Bradford of 89,000, have been on the Out of School Register for more than two months.

"We are continuing to work to identify their whereabouts, including notifying the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) through its Children Missing Education process. These figures clearly challenge those given at the Select Committee."

Reading MP Martin Salter, a member of the select committee panel, has linked girls being removed from rolls throughout the country to the issue of forced marriages.

In a letter to Ed Balls MP, Minister of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, he claims the official figure in Bradford and other areas may be the "tip of the iceberg".

Education experts, community leaders and councillors also expressed surprise at a figure of 250 today. Javed Ashraf, of Bradford Council for Mosques, said: "I don't know where he got that figure from - it's not based on fact. If there are any forced marriages they remain a tiny minority in number."

Bary Malik, of Bradford's Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, said he was "amazed" by the allegation. And Councillor Riaz Ahmed (Lib Dem, Bradford Moor), did not believe forced marriage still took place in Bradford.

Keighley MP Ann Cryer said removing girls from school roles solved truancy problems.

An Education Bradford spokesman said: "Bradford has robust processes in place for tracking children and young people who are missing education."

He said: "The latest figures show that between September 2006 and November 2007 a total of 205 children were identified as living in the Bradford district but missing education.

"Of this number, 172 have been tracked to an alternative destination or are known to be on roll at a school. 33 children, out of a total school population in Bradford of 89,000, have been on the Out of School Register for more than two months."