More than 300 new workers in Bradford schools are starting the new term without the stringent checks from the Criminal Records Bureau.

A Government U-turn means new employees can take classes, at head teachers' discretion, as long as their names are not on a 'blacklist' of child abusers known as List 99. Education chiefs in Bradford are still awaiting full security clearance for 323 teachers and other school staff.

The new CRB system was meant to be stricter than the previous List 99 procedure and is designed to pick up all court convictions, police cautions, warnings and reprimands as well as checking for child protection issues.

Education Bradford says it was "promised" the information today by the Criminal Records Bureau - but the agency has failed to deliver.

The outstanding checks for Bradford teachers and other school staff are among a backlog of 7,000 around the country. Councillor David Ward, executive member for education, said: "This has been a colossal mess."

He said efforts by Education Bradford and Bradford Council to gauge the scale of the problem in the district were hampered because officials could not even raise anyone at the CRB on the phone.

Schools contacted by the Telegraph & Argus were managing to reopen on time for pupils despite having checks on staff outstanding. They were arranging cover or ensuring unchecked teachers were not left alone with pupils.