Parent and church members of a Council watchdog have put a stop on controversial plans to pay extra to privatised Education Bradford.

The decision by Council chiefs to pay Bradford's private education contractor an extra £1.7 million this year has been "called in" by the education overview and scrutiny committee.

This means a stop has been put on the original decision of April 8, which might now be referred back to either the Council's ruling Executive or a meeting of the full Council.

Scrutiny committees have the power to 'call-in' decisions but the education body has not done so for more than a year.

Parent governors and church representatives on the watchdog body instigated the 'call-in' procedure this time amid concern over the relationship between Bradford Council and Serco, the contractor.

Serco, which trades as Education Bradford, took over responsibility for education services in July, 2001, after the Council's in-house service was exposed by Ofsted as a failure.

It is paid at least £30 million per year to run the service and can earn further bonus payments if stringent classroom targets are met.

The decision now being questioned was to increase by £833,000 the amount paid out automatically, with a corresponding reduction in the amount available in bonus. It means Serco is guaranteed the extra income, regardless of performance.

Mike Pollard, parent governor representative on the overview and scrutiny committee (education) and a sponsor of the calling in of the item, said: "Following the report the assistant chief executive Mark Carriline submitted to the Council's executive committee on April 8, it is clear that, after nearly two years of operation of this contract, there are some funding issues that appear to be raising concern." He added: "Current local government good practice would expect such an important issue to be subject to the appropriate overview and scrutiny."

The move to reconsider the decision was also backed by John Anderson, the Church of England representative on the committee, and Councillor Mark Blackburn (Lab, Shipley East).

Coun Elaine Byrom (Con, Clayton), chairman of the scrutiny committee, said: "I wasn't one of the signatories to the calling in but that doesn't mean to say I don't approve of it."

Mark Pattison, managing director at Education Bradford, said: "The Council's overview and scrutiny committee clearly has the right to call in a report of this sort, and we await the outcome of the meeting."