A THIRD of pupils stopped during a truancy crackdown in the North-East did not have a valid reason for being out of school.
Figures released yesterday showed that police apprehended 1,898 pupils in December, with 610 not entitled to be outside school.
In Darlington, 104 children were stopped and 17 were "un-authorised absence" cases.
Twenty-five were stopped in Middlesbrough, 116 in Hartlepool, 339 in Durham and 107 in Stockton.
The campaign aimed to tackle links between truancy, underachievement and youth crime.
Ivan Lewis, Minister for Young People and Adult Skills, said: "At a time when nearly half of all children are achieving five or more good GCSEs, only eight per cent of persistent truants achieve this standard.
"Investment in schools is at record levels and Ofsted reports that teaching standards are the best ever - we must ensure that every child can take full advantage of this."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article