A £1.4M Government scheme to tackle the growing menace of truancy in the North-East could lead to electronic name-taking and truancy sweeps of surrounding streets.

Primary and secondary schools across the region are to share the Department for Education and Skills funding.

Bad behaviour and truancy will come under the spotlight in the Behaviour Improvement Programme (BIP) across Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton.

With one of the worst truancy rates in the UK, schools in the North-East are expected to benefit from several new measures.

One-to-one learning mentors to help pupils get over their problems and breakfast clubs to extend the school hours are among the ideas suggested in the programme.

North-East schools could also use the money to introduce an electronic registration system which would instantly confirm the attendance of every pupil and could reduce truancy rates by up to ten per cent.

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Education Authority said: "We already have truancy sweeps near our schools and have a policy on parents who consistently let their children miss school. But we welcome anything that keeps children in school.