More truancy sweeps on the way

During the academic year 2005/6 there were 13 local and four county-wide truancy sweeps.

The patrols stopped 488 young people.

Half of them were accompanied by an adult, slightly more than half were boys, a third were from primary schools and two-thirds had a valid reason for not being at school.

Using powers from the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 patrols returned 109 youngsters to their schools.

Insp Russell Ternent, of the Sussex Police youth safety and intervention team, said: 'Figures show truancy patrols are becoming more effective at identifying the real truants and we want to keep the pressure on those pupils who are thinking about taking time out of school.

'We are already planning our truancy sweep programme for next year in support of the Government's Respect campaign where school attendance is high on the agenda.'

He said parents and carers who allowed children to truant from school could expect a more robust approach in the future.

'School is of the utmost importance, it gives young people improved life chances, keeps them safer than roaming the streets and reduces the change of them getting into trouble.'