More than 140 teachers in Oxfordshire miss school each day because of sickness, according to the Conservative Party.

Figures released by the Tories show that on average 143 teachers are too unwell for work every day in the county.

In all, 3,030 teachers in Oxfordshire took at least one day of absence in 2007 – the latest year for which records are available.

Teachers took a total of 27,920 sick days in the year — meaning Oxfordshire County Council had the 29th highest level of teacher sickness out of 150 local authorities in England.

Teachers in neighbouring Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire took fewer sick days, but Oxfordshire’s teachers took less time off ill than those in Warwickshire.

Across England, almost three million sick days were taken by 311,000 teachers, while the number of working days lost to illness grew from 2.5 million in 1999 to 2.9 million in 2007.

Shadow Children’s Secretary Michael Gove said: “It’s very worrying that the number of sick days has risen so dramatically.”

A spokesman at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, said: “Teacher sickness levels remain low and stable and well within industry norms.”

Spokesmen for the National Union of Teachers and Oxfordshire County Council were unavailable for comment.