Holiday case was a waste

WKIRKLEES Council wasted ‘hugely disproportionate’ resources on a mum who took her two children out of school to go on holiday.

The mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to get permission from her children’s primary school for the trip.

And a court heard how the the local authority spent a large amount of time and effort trying to trace her after she failed to pay fines and then moved addresses without telling the school.

She finally appeared before Kirklees magistrates after being absent for her original court hearing – two years ago.

The offences were dated between June 28 and July 7 in 2017.

The mum’s children were aged seven and nine at the time and attending the same primary school.

Nicholas Williams, prosecuting for Kirklees Council, said: “Being the parent of two pupils registered at a school in the Kirklees area, she failed to ensure the regular attendance of her children.

“It was a short leave of absence but not requested and therefore unauthorised by the headteacher.

“Following the council’s code of conduct penalty notices were issued.

“She was written to. It was explained that the penalty noticed had been issued and she had 21 days to pay or the amount would increase.”

The mum was sent a further reminder letter in September the same year.

This said that since she had not paid the fine it would increase from £60 to £120 per child.

She was written to at the address she had provided to the school and the council sent a total of 15 letters which went unanswered by her.

Her lack of compliance resulted in a conviction at Leeds Magistrates’ Court in December 2017.

Mr Williams said: “She was fully aware of the potential consequences of ignoring these notices yet didn’t update the school or the local authority of her new address.

“The cost to the public purse has been hugely disproportionate; the amount of work that has gone into this.”

The mum, now living in the Liversedge area, was allowed by magistrates to make a statutory declaration to say that she wasn’t aware of the original court case.

She pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school.

The mum admitted that she went on holiday with her children and didn’t ask for permission from their school.

She said: “I did take them both out of school last year and I paid the fine straightaway.”

Magistrates ordered her to pay a total of £350. Of this £240 will go to the council to help recuperate some of the costs it wasted on her case.

Chairman of the bench Wayne Perriman warned her: “If you do this again you could face prison for not sending your children to school.

“It’s in your interests to make sure that if you move again you let the school know.”