PARENTS are being told to ensure their children attend school - or end up with a fine.

From Monday, truancy officers will be patrolling Bolton's streets to check pupils are attending school.

If they are not, and are found to regularly skip classes, their parents will be handed a £100 fine. Failure to pay will result in a court appearance.

Bolton's education authority is joining a national co-ordinated truancy sweep over the next month - but will be one of the few issuing fines.

Ian Price, chief education social worker in Bolton, said: "Bolton works well with the police to carry out the checks and we always check the attendance of every child we stop, even if they are with their parents.

"What will be different this time is that if the child's absence is unauthorised and if they have a history of failing to attend school, their parents will be given a fine." Truancy officers will be targeting local hotspots such as shopping centres.

Most pupils will be returned to school and letters will be sent to parents or carers.

If a child misses school for 10 days a term, a parent could be handed a £100 fine, of which they will get £50 back if they pay the education authority within 28 days.

If they fail to pay, they will be taken to court, where they will be fined around £200 with £150 court costs.

Powers to fine parents were introduced by the government last February.

Around two per cent of children in the North-west truant from school every day.

Nationally, this is the seventh truancy sweep to take place since December 2002, although Bolton has been carrying out its own truancy sweeps since May 2000.