MORE than 230 truants have been picked up by police on the streets of a North-East city in a single day.

Police were surprised to find so many pupils absent from school in the City of Sunderland area during a crackdown this week and have condemned parents who allowed children to miss school in the City.

Youth Issues Officer for Sunderland City PC Neil Wrightson said: "It's worrying when you frequently stop youngsters who are off school for no authorised reason and that they have done so with the full knowledge of a parent or carer. This means that parents are condoning this behaviour."

A total of 21 had been excluded from school and the others had legitimate reasons to be there - but at least 52 were confirmed to be truanting.

During the last truancy sweep in February, 183 children were stopped.

But the latest crackdown come days after the mother of two teenage daughters, Patricia Amos, from Oxfordshire, was handed a prison sentence for allowing them to miss lessons.

The levels of truancy in the Wearside area has concerned Northumbria Police, who say young people are more likely to be the victim of crime or become involved in crime when they are not in a school.

PC Wrightson said: "Our first concern is the safety of youngsters who are not protected by the school environment. They may be at risk from becoming a victim of crime when they are out and about on their own."

Educational Social Work Team Leaders Kevin Knapp added: "Children need to be in school on a regular basis. Every day counts to help children achieve their full potential."