Mother jailed for child's truancy

A mother has been jailed for two months for repeatedly failing to stop her child playing truant from school.

The 41-year-old, of Banbury, Oxon, "knowingly condoned" her child's absence from classes, Oxfordshire County Council said.

It said she had also failed to co-operate with authorities.

The mother, who cannot be identified, pleaded guilty at Banbury Magistrates Court to failing to ensure her child attended school.

'Extreme' cases

It also emerged that she had previous convictions for the same offence.

The prosecution was brought by Oxfordshire County Council and is the fourth time a parent has been jailed in the county for failing to prevent a child from skipping school.

Barry Armstrong, from the County Council, said: "It is always regrettable that a parent should be separated from their child.

"This only happens in the most extreme cases."

He added: "In this particular case the parent knowingly condoned her child's non-attendance, failed to co-operate with us or take up support offered and her child had simply not attended school."