BRENT parents are being warned not to take their children out of school after eight mothers and fathers were fined.

Brent Council brought the cases to court after children were persistently absent from school last academic year with no good reason, the authority said.

The parents were dragged before Brent Magistrates Court last month and ordered to pay fines as well as court costs of up to £600.

Now the new academic year is in full swing council lawyers are warning parents more prosecutions could follow.

Amanda Hoyal, Brent's senior practitioner, said: “We use court action as a last resort, most parents understand the importance of sending their child to school, however those parents whose children have unauthorised absences and ignore schools and Education Welfare Service (EWS) advice will be prosecuted.

“It is our aim to get the message across that parents must be encouraged to work with schools and the EWS to ensure their children go to school regularly.”

The council says one of its biggest problems is parents taking their children on holiday without permission during term time.

Officers say parents have to ask the headteacher for permission and warn most are unwilling to agree time off because so many pupils miss school.

Parents who do take their children out of class risk a £50 penalty and even the loss of a school place if the child is gone for a long time.