A NORTH-EAST father is facing jail if he fails to send his teenage son to school.

The 48-year-old single father from County Durham was brought before the courts earlier this year. Education chiefs took action after his son failed to attend lessons for three months.

Yesterday, he was back before magistrates in Consett where he pleaded guilty to his second offence of failing to ensure his son went to school. An imprisonable offence of knowingly keeping his son from school was dropped.

After handing down a £50 fine, magistrates warned the father - who gave a number of excuses for his son's absence from school - that a third offence could mean jail.

His appearance comes only weeks after Patricia Amos, of Oxfordshire, became the first person to be jailed under new powers which target truancy.

Julian Wilson, for Dur-ham County Council, praised the father for ensuring the boy started attending following his previous court appearance.

But he said: "I must make it plain that if there is a repeat of his failure to ensure his son attends school . . . the local authority will press the more serious offence."

Bench chairman Jean Chapman told the father: "If you are charged again, it will be because you know the ropes and you are deliberately not sending your child - and that charge will carry imprisonment, if necessary."

Durham County Council education director Keith Mitchell said later: "We seek to work in close co-operation with parents.

"However, where a child's educational future is at risk because parents aren't fulfilling their legal responsibilities . . . we will not hesitate to use legal powers at our disposal."