A FATHER whose son clocked up 136 abscences from school between January and April was fined £750 this week.

The teenage boy's absences from school were all unauthorised, magistrates in Guisborough were told.

They fined the man, from East Cleveland, and ordered him to pay £40 costs. He had not appeared in court nor had he submitted a letter of mitigation.

The prosecution was brought by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Principal education social worker Lynn Strachan said later: "The level of the fine shows that magistrates are treating matters of non-school attendance seriously.

"We hope that other parents will be warned of the penalties available to courts if they fail to ensure their children are regular school attenders."