Truancy figures grow as 16 caught bunking

All the youngsters stopped during a crackdown against pupils walking around the town during a recent school day were returned to their classes.

Their parents will receive a letter regarding their children's absence. Further action may be taken in specific cases.

The types of areas visited by West Sussex County Council education welfare officers and Sussex Police included shopping centres, cemeteries, sports centres and arcades.

The patrols took place in ten towns around the county. Of the 70 pupils stopped in all, 52 were returned to their schools.

Inspector Russell Ternant, from Sussex Police's youth safety and intervention team, said: 'The latest truancy sweep results are a complete contrast to last year's and represent a worrying trend.'

Only three genuine truants, out of 47 stopped, were taken back to school at the same time in 2006.

But the efforts of the police and education welfare officers were at least successful in locating the latest batch of truants, he said.

'However, it is disturbing that these truants felt they could take the risk. Hopefully, this does not represent a real increase in non-attendance at school and was a result of the early spring-like weather.

'That said, the education welfare officers will be vigorously following up with their parents and carers why these 52 pupils were not in school and have a number of actions they can take, including issuing fixed penalty notices in some cases.'