INCREASING numbers of parents face legal action if they fail to send their children to school.

The tough warning comes from Durham County Council director of education Keith Mitchell, after the mother of a ten-year-old pupil was fined £100 with £50 costs by magistrates in Consett.

Durham Education Authority has made increasing use of its legal powers to reduce levels of truancy in recent years, and stresses the maximum sentence now includes a jail sentence.

Mr Mitchell said: "The maximum fine facing parents is £2,500 with a three-month prison sentence for parents who fail to ensure their children attend school regularly."

"The responsibility for ensuring school attendance lies entirely with the parents. We try to work closely with them on attendance problems but if a child's educational future is at risk because parents don't meet their legal responsibilities, or don't co-operate with help offered by schools and the education authority, then we won't hesitate to use the legal powers available.

"With the maximum fine recently increasing to £2,500 and a possible three month jail sentence, parents need to be acutely aware of the jeopardy in which they are placing themselves."

The county council has been at the forefront of several initiatives to tackle truancy that have since been adopted elsewhere.

These include joint police and education welfare officer sweeps of known truancy hot spots and the introduction of playground 'passports' in a bid to create truancy free zones.