PARENTS of pupils who persistently play truant from Withins and Sharples High Schools appeared before Bolton magistrates.

In a series of cases brought by Bolton Council on Monday, parents were accused of failing to ensure their children attended school and were given either fines or conditional discharges.

Jonathan Tomlinson, aged 38, of Stephens Street, Breightmet, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure his 15-year-old son, also named Jonathan, attended Withins School regularly despite receiving several warning letters.

The court was told that Jonathan had only attended school on 34 out of a possible 130 occasions between January and March.

Magistrates heard that Jonathan has left the family home, can become abusive and refuses to comply with his father's efforts to make him go to school.

Tomlinson was fined £75 and ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs.

Deborah Fletcher, aged 36, of Whalley Avenue, Johnson Fold, also pleaded guilty to failing to ensure her daughter, 15-year-old Natalie, attends Sharples School.

She failed to keep appointments with the educational social worker and did not respond to warning notices.

Natalie did not attend school at all between February 2 and May 2, but Fletcher said her daughter did attend school a number of times before the start of the summer holidays.

She was fined £150 and ordered to pay £90 costs.

Dorinda Davenport, aged 33, of Mobberley Road, Breightmet, was given a conditional discharge after magistrates heard about her efforts to get her daughter, Cherie Kendal, to attend Withins School.

Cherie had attended only 46 out of a possible 148 sessions at the school between January and April.

Miss Davenport, who also has a son who regularly attends school, said her 15-year-old daughter is rebellious and, despite taking her to the school gates by taxi, she walks out within minutes.

Cherie has threatened to run away if forced to go to school and even dyed her hair in the hope she would be expelled, the court was told.

Davenport was given a conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £100 costs.

Andrew Raymond, of Wasdale Avenue, Breightmet, blamed his son Marley's failure to attend Withins School on the fact that work took him to Blackpool so he was not at home to supervise getting the 13-year-old boy to class.

Raymond, aged 36, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure his child attends school and was fined £150 with £72 costs.

Michaela Hickman, aged 31, of Marld Crescent, Johnson Fold, was given a conditional discharge when magistrates were told she had six children and was unable to ensure her eldest daughter, 12-year-old Kirsty Acton, made the two-bus journey trip to Withins School.

Miss Hickman was hoping to get her daughter a place at the nearer Smithills School so she could supervise her daughter's attendance more closely. Magistrates gave Hickman a conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £50 costs.

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