PARENTS of children who play truant at two Bolton schools could be fined within nine weeks of the problem being spotted..

Under a new fast track scheme, magistrates could fine mothers and fathers £1,000 if their children skip classes at Withins and the Deane School.

The two secondary schools have been earmarked for the pilot scheme because of their poor attendance records. Numbers of truants are so high education social workers do not have the resources to spend a lot of time with all the families involved.

Ian Price, Bolton's principal education social worker, said: "What we are doing is saying to parents that if their child's attendance does not improve then within nine weeks they will be in court. We are trying to get the message across to parents that school attendance matters."

The initiative starts this month at Withins and discussions are taking place at the Deane.

Under the scheme, schools will set their own criteria for attendance and levels of unauthorised absence. Parents will receive a number of letters informing them that their child is not meeting those standards. If there is no improvement in their child's attendance, parents will find themselves in court after nine weeks.

Mr Price stressed that at any time during the process, parents were welcome to contact the school or education social workers and they would strive to help them resolve problems they may be facing. Margaret Blenkinsop, Director of Education and Culture, said the school fast track scheme was a way of cutting down on bureaucracy and red tape.

Under the pilot scheme, the maximum punishment courts can dole out is a £1,000 fine.

Under normal circumstances, when prosecutions of this type are brought by Bolton Council, it takes at least three months to bring to court, although parents can receive the more severe punishment of a three month prison sentence and a £2,500 fine.

Mr Price said the council could roll out the fast track approach to other schools in the borough, although he said the rest of Bolton's schools had much better attendance records.

Latest figures show Withins has an attendance record of 86.9 per cent and the Deane 87.2 per cent.

The rest of the schools in Bolton have attendance records of 90 per cent or more.