SCHOOL truants will have no hiding place next week when a council launches an operation to track them down.

Darlington Borough Council is planning a series of sweeps at locations throughout the town where truant children are known to gather when they should be at school.

The sweeps, which are being carried out by council education welfare officers and police, will begin on Monday and continue throughout the week.

Any children who are found found to be out of school without good reason can expect their parents and school to be informed.

Councillor Eleanor Lister, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for education, said the sweeps were part of a council drive to reduce truancy levels.

She said: "It's for the sake of the students. They are the ones missing out on their education and there is a danger element as well.

"On a dark afternoon we have got children wandering around unsupervised. We have witnessed the danger of that in the past nationally."

She said Darlington did not have particularly high levels of truancy, but said: "The importance of regular attendance at school cannot be stressed strongly enough.

"By taking part in this sweep, it is hoped that the message will be driven home to youngsters in Darlington."

Posters advertising the campaign and highlighting the need for regular school attendance have been put up in the Cornmill Shopping Centre and Queen Street Arcade, both popular haunts for teenage truants.

Susan Young, deputy manager of the Cornmill Shopping Centre, said there was a problem with pupils congregating in the centre during the day.

She said: "It happens in any shopping centre. During school time, if our security staff see children on their own, they can and have challenged them. We think this scheme is a good idea and are backing it."

Councillor Chris McEwan said the issue of truancy was being addressed by the council's lifelong learning scrutiny committee.

"We need to tackle truancy and non-attendance in a number of ways, through education and finding out what those schools with good attendance levels are doing right. Over the next few months, we'll be looking at the issue. Darlington fits in with the culture of the North-East in that our attendance is not as good as other areas. We could do better and will do."