More help needed to combat truancy

Parents in north Worcestershire are being urged to monitor their children's school attendance in an attempt to cut down on truancy.

A recent crack down on truancy in Bromsgrove and Kidderminster found more than 70 children out of school - some of them with their parents.

West Mercia Police say parents can be fined up to £2,000 or even sent to prison if their children persistently play truant.

National charity Parentline Plus is calling on the government to do more to tackle the causes of the problem.

Wokers from the charity say most parents need more help to stop their children from truanting and are "desperate" to find ways to keep them in class.

Head teacher of Pershore High School, Clive Corbett, says as well as social issues, many schools are looking at the children's workload as being the cause of truancy.