The mother of a six-year-old girl charged with allowing her daughter to play truant was fined £350 after failing to attend court for the third time.

The prosecution counsel for the education authority told Wallington Magistrates' Court on Tuesday how the child had only 55 per cent attendance at school over the past year.

Anne Stevens said: "There are three older children in the family who have attended school more regularly as they have got older.

"The mother does not see the seriousness of this matter and the girl is already having difficulty with her reading and writing, which we think is a very serious matter.

"If she is aware her child is not at school it is an imprisonable offence."

Ms Stevens explained to the magistrates it would be difficult to know how much to fine the defendant because she failed to come to court and explain her financial situation.

She added: "We have been racking our books and our brains to find out how we can get her to come to court."

Senior Education Welfare Officer, Rose Rhule said: "This is the largest fine we have seen in this area since a case in February 1995, when both parents were fined £300 each plus £100 in costs."

November 16, 2001 11:02