Education experts fear the shift to academy schools will cause a 'shocking' democratic deficit unless local government gains a greater oversight role, a report issued today claims.

Due to be launched by schools minister, David Laws, at the Liberal Democrat Party conference in Brighton, the research - undertaken by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) think tank - forecasts up to 24,000 academies and free schools will be accountable to the Department for Education by 2015.