A SILSDEN school claims it has been left high and dry by officials at Bradford Council after getting stung for a massive bill for building work.

Hothfield Street Junior School had to scrap its plans for a changing room extension to its small swimming pool, after workmen found an underground sewer at the site. Moving it was deemed too expensive.

The school believed it had negotiated a settlement figure with builders to return the site to how it was originally, with the help of Bradford Council's building services department which was overseeing the project.

But last week the school was shocked to find the final bill was three times the agreed amount and now runs into thousands of pounds.

And Bradford Council's legal department has said it cannot give the school advice on what to do next.

This week, Hothfield Street's headteacher, Jamesine Welch, said if it was forced to pay the bill it would create a financial headache.

"The lower bill will effect our resources, but the higher bill could effect staffing," she said.

"We've had no direct contact with the builders and we employed Bradford Council as project manager.

"Now all we can do is fling it back to them and say the ball's in your court."

Mrs Welch is now appealing to anyone with legal training to come forward and offer to give the school free legal advice.

"The whole thing is senseless because we've not got the facility we want and we've been landed with this bill," she added. "We work so hard and to have that amount of money just taken away from next year's budget means our long-term educational planning is just up in the air at a stroke.

"It's costing us money anyway because I'm not out in the classroom teaching, I'm stuck in my office by the phone trying to sort this out."

Mrs Welch claims telephone conversations with council officers are then contradicted when she later receives information from them in writing.

"All we can do is fight this as hard as we can," said Mrs Welsh, who is also unhappy about the state of the work carried out by the contractors.

A Bradford Council education buildings spokesman said: "We are aware of the problem and are waiting to hear how the school wishes to pursue this matter."

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