Fines totalling more than £5,000 have been given out to parents/legal guardians who have failed to ensure children attended school.

Penalties up to £440 were given to 27 people.

The 27 cases all called at Tameside Magistrates Court recently.

Four parents/guardians with children at Smithills School and four at Youth Challenge, Smithills, were fined.

All eight received £440 each.

There were also three parents/guardians whose children attend Gaskell Primary School, Halliwell were fined.

They received a fine of £220 each.

Two parents/ guardians were fined £40 each for not sending their children to Bolton St Catherine's Academy, Breightmet. 

There were two penalties given out to parents of children at Lever Edge Primary, with both  fined £43 each.

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Two parents/ guardians with children at Holy Infant Primary School, Halliwell, received a £150 fine and a £40.

Two with children at  St James' CE High School received a penalty of £220 each.

Six parents/guardians with a child at Sharples School, Tonge Moor Primary, Ladybridge High School, High Lawn Primary School, Sharples, and Red Lane Primary School, Breightmet, received fines of £220.

There was one case of not sending a child to Harper Green School, Farnworth, where a fine of £440 was given.

Another £440 was given to a parent/guardian over a case of non-attendance at Oaks Primary School, Sharples.

In total £5,876 of fines were given out.

A spokesperson for the Bolton Council said fines were a "last resort."

They said: “Regular school attendance is vital for children’s learning and development.

“Shortly before the pandemic, we lowered the threshold for issuing a penalty notice for unauthorised absences from 10 days to five, bringing us in line with the majority of other areas.

“Bolton has better attendance rates than the England average and of our statistical neighbours.

“We work constructively with schools and families to address attendance issues and fines are only used as a last resort.”