A MOTHER has been told to pay a fine of more than £400 — because her son missed school because of a life-threatening brain tumour nine years ago.

Darilyn Rothwell, aged 51, from Fernside, in Stoneclough, was shocked when she received a letter from the Marston Group — a High Court enforcement company — which acts on instructions received from HM Courts and Tribunals service — telling her she had seven days to pay the fine.

The letter refers to an issue with her son Chris Barlow, now aged 24, who Mrs Rothwell says was forced to miss school because of the tumour in 2004.

Bolton Council took Mrs Rothwell, who works at Ashworth Cafe in Farnworth, to court at the time on child truancy grounds and Bolton Magistrates Court confirmed on November 15, 2004 a fine of £220 with £110 costs was imposed on Darilyn who used the surname of Barlow at the time.

The letter states that with an extra £85 added in costs from the debt enforcement company the overall figure owed is £405.

Mrs Rothwell, who thought the fine had been rescinded in 2005, said: “When I got the letter it took me right back to the time when I first found out that he had the tumour, I honestly thought they had sent it to the wrong person.

“If they had contacted me sooner I could have phoned and explained the situation, but this is the first I have heard of it — a letter coming though my door nine years later.

“I’m so angry and upset — if he had simply been playing truant then I’d hold my hands up but he wasn’t, he couldn’t go in because he was in so much pain.”

Her son, Mr Barlow, added: “It is ridiculous that they are chasing people this many years later.”

In September 2004, Mr Barlow began complaining of severe headaches and his mother admits at the time she thought he was pulling a “fast one”.

Mr Barlow said it was frustrating that people did not believe him at the time, adding: “Everyone thought I was faking, but the headaches were really bad for months so I had to bunk off school — when mum found out she went mad at me.”

But in January 2005 he was rushed into hospital after collapsing and fitting and put on a life support machine for three days — with doctors telling his mother that he had technically died before being revived.

It was revealed he had a benign brain tumour — and has had 22 operations.

Mr Barlow, now a father-of-three from Blackley said he is trying to live a normal life, but is still affected by the tumour.

He added: “I can’t do exercise because I get too dizzy and it brings on headaches and it makes me sad that I can’t run around and play with the kids.

“It just makes me angry that they are dredging all this stuff up now — I nearly died at the time and I wonder if my mum would still be being pestered like this if I had.”

HM Courts and Tribunals Service has launched an “urgent” investigation into the matter.

A spokesperson said: “The family have been advised no further action will be taken until our investigation has concluded.”