Hundreds of Bradford Council workers were taking part in a national strike over pay today.

Members of Unison, the GMB and the Transport & General Workers Union voted in favour of industrial action after they rejected a three per cent pay offer. They are calling for six per cent.

The Council employees stopped work from midnight, affecting social services, schools, refuse collection, benefits, leisure services, transport, environmental health, catering and cleaning across the district.

Up to 1.2 million Council workers around the country were expected to take part in today's action. Bradford Council leader Margaret Eaton said: "We will do everything we can to make sure the impact on local people is minimised and essential services are maintained."

The Council's human resources director, Vanda Rogers, said they had agreed with unions that critical services would be exempt from the strike action, including emergency meals on wheels, cemeteries and crematoria. Phil Green, Bradford Council's director of education, said teachers and teaching assistants were at school.

"However, some education support services could be affected, including caretakers, cleaners, lunchtime supervisors, kitchen staff and special needs assistants."

He said the Council had provided guidelines to schools and they would only close if they could not guarantee the safety of pupils. Parents would then be informed by the individual school.

Richard Wixey, the Council's director of environmental protection, said efforts were being made to empty bins and keep household waste sites open as normal, but most refuse collection crews were expected to be on strike.

He said if wheelie bins were not emptied, residents should put their rubbish out next Wednesday when any extra bags next to the bins would also be collected.

A Council spokesman said there was expected to be a reduced service at libraries, sports centres and swimming pools.