Almost 4,000 parents fined for letting their children skip school

Almost 4,000 parents across the South West have been fined for letting their children skip school.

Figures from a Freedom of Information request made by the law firm Simpson Millar revealed fines worth £238,500 were issued to parents in the 2015/16 school year.

Many of those will have taken their children out of school during term time to take advantage of cheap holiday deals.

Bristol City Council issued the most fines with 1,921 parents paying a total of £115,000.

Under current legislation if a school notifies the local council that a child has had an unauthorised absence, the council can issue the parents with a £60 fixed penalty notice which rises to £120 if it isn’t paid within 21 days.