EDUCATION bosses caught 31 youngsters skipping school to enjoy the sunshine in the latest crackdown on truants.

The children -- aged between 11 and 15 -- were stopped yesterday during a joint operation by education social workers and Bolton police in the Great Lever area.

Of these, 16 were accompanied by adults when they were questioned.

A further 15 children were sent back to school after they were quizzed.

Council officials have admitted the number of children spoken to was high for a Bolton district, with recent complaints about juvenile crime and non-attendance at school sparking the operation.

It came just days after three Bolton families were fined for failing to ensure their children attended school.

Magistrates imposed fines totalling £700 and costs of £275 after the parents were found guilty of breaching the Education Act 1996 for failure to ensure their children attended school.

A further seven sets of parents are due to appear in court on the same charge later this month.

Ian Price, the council's principal education social worker, says the battle against the truants will continue.

He said: "The sun might be shining but schools do not finish until July 20 and we expect children to be there.

"This area has been targeted after we received requests through the chief executive's department and the police."

Mr Price welcomed the stiff fines handed out in court to the parents who had not ensured their children were in lessons.

He said: "There have been fairly high levels of fines imposed by Bolton magistrates.

"It shows they take this situation very seriously and I welcome their stance."

Last December, 53 children were stopped during a previous truancy sweep in Farnworth town centre, New Bury and Little Lever.

In October, a similar operation saw 57 schoolchildren quizzed, with one 15-year-old girl claiming she had been allowed time off to get her tongue pierced.

In the latest operation, one excuse used was the child had taken time off to care for a sick parent.

Letters on behalf of director education, Margaret Blenkinsop will now be sent out to the parents of children who were returned to their lessons.

Police chiefs hailed the latest truancy sweep a success.

Chief Insp Alan Greene of Bolton Central police said: "We want to extend these truancy initiatives from the town centre into other areas where we have been experiencing problems.

"We will be repeating this exercise in September."

Cllr Linda Thomas, the council's executive member for education, said: "The Local Education Authority is keen to see parents take responsibility for their children's education and give it a high priority.

"It regards non-attendance as a very serious matter and, if parents do not take the responsibility we expect, then they run the risk of the LEA taking action against them."