Truancy fines: Fines for more than 40 parents from Halifax and other parts of Calderdale - some having to pay £440 - after their kids miss school

During a day of hearings at Bradford Magistrates Court earlier this month, more than 40 of the borough’s parents were ordered to pay truancy fines – some amounting to several hundreds of pounds.

Of those, 27 were given fines of £220, and 10 more were handed fines of £440.

And there were court costs to pay as well.

Councils and schools can use various legal powers if a child is missing school without a good reason.

These include a Parenting Order, an Education Supervision Order, a School Attendance Order and a fine.

Each parent can be fined £60, rising to £120 each if they do not pay within 21 days.

Anyone who does not pay the fine after 28 days may be prosecuted, and courts can then issue fines of up to £2,500, a community order or a three-month jail sentence.