SCHOOL stayaways have been warned there will be no hiding place in a major crackdown on truancy.

Police and education officers are launching the first operation of its kind around four Bolton secondary schools.

Police officers and education social workers based at Smithills School, Deane School, Hayward School and the Withins School are to be given permission to challenge youngsters seen on streets surrounding the school.

They will be able to detain the youngsters are return them to their desks.

The children's parents would then be informed and education social workers would closely monitor the child's attendance over the following term. Currently, truancy sweeps are held only in Bolton, Farnworth, Horwich and Little Lever town centres.

Police chief Supt Alan Green said: "This is aimed at children who leave the house but never make it school. We will be targeting casual truants -- the ones who go to the chip shop for lunch but then don't make it back to school.

"There will be no hiding place for them on the estates. If they are seen they will be spoken to."

Supt Green added: "There is a big link to both truancy and crime and school exclusion. If children are in school they are not out committing a crime."

He added that town centre sweeps had been more about raising awareness of the issue.

Police officers can question youngsters they see on the streets but have no power to return them to school unless they are actually involved with education welfare officers.

They can only pass on the information they have on the children to education officials.

The new police powers will be used before Christmas.

Principal Education Social Worker Ian Price said: "We have agreed with the police to do a rolling programme of mini truancy sweeps based around four secondary schools that have police officers. The schools police officer and education social workers will be able to hold their own mini truancy sweeps."

Mr Price said the initiative will allow sweeps to be conducted at times when individual schools experience attendance problems.

Since May 2000 more than 1,000 children, that should have been in school, have been stopped during town centre truancy sweeps. Many were accompanied by their parents.

Last school year truancy rates in Bolton dropped to 1.1 per cent from 1.3 per cent.

Town centre sweeps take place at least once a term.