A Government report has cleared Bradford Council of mishandling the allocation of school places in the Keighley area.

Local Government Ombudsman Patricia Thomas has not upheld complaints from Long Lee parents about the council's handling of school admissions policy.

They complained to the Ombudsman after their children at Long Lee Primary School were refused places at Parkside Secondary School, in Cullingworth, and were instead admitted to Greenhead High School, in Utley.

The parents, whose names were changed to Mrs Elliot and Mr Wentworth for legal reasons, outlined a number of concerns and accusations to the Ombudsman.

They alleged there had been failures to consult about admissions criteria, and that there was inadequate and misleading information in the council's booklet on admissions and a failure to apply the stated criteria properly.

The families concerned also alleged that an independent appeal panel set up by the council to consider the parents' appeals failed to consider the cases properly, and that a petition had not been considered.

There were also concerns about the management of the transition to a two-tier education system and about schools having different admission criteria.

In her report, Mrs Thomas does not uphold any of the complaints made against Bradford Council.

She concluded: "I have seen no evidence that the area where the complainants live was ever included in the council's plans as an area to be served by Uppercross School (Parkside).

"The only reference to this is made in a letter to the chairman of the governors of the previous school, which refers to the governors' views rather than those of the LEA.

"While this may have led parents to believe their area had been included, that is not the result of any maladministration on the part of the council, which carried out extensive consultation at the time."

Bradford Council declined to comment.

A spokesman for the parents said: "We are disappointed that the Ombudsman has not found in our favour, and we are even more disappointed that she has not given any substantial reasons for our main complaint, that the council didn't substantiate its promises.

"The report allows council officers to continue riding rough shod over the rights of parents, and it is particularly bad news for parents in Keighley.

"Bradford Council has a statutory duty to ensure preferences are made wherever possible."