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Parents could be fined thousands for taking their children on holiday in term time under plans mooted by Lancashire County Council.

The council is considering issuing fines of £1,000 per child, per parent, meaning a family with two parents and two children could face paying

£4,000. The current penalty across the UK is £120 per child.

The new measure was revealed in a letter from a head teacher to parents last week. Sara Richardson, head teacher of Balladen Community Primary School in Rossendale, wrote: “Lancashire County Council are currently trialling a new system for dealing with unauthorised holidays and breaks during term time. This system is still at the pilot stage, but please be aware this may come in to effect at some stage.”

According to the most recent figures, in 2016-17, the council issued 6,876 fines for unauthorised absences – one of the highest rates in the country – despite schools in the county enjoying higher than average attendance.

A council spokesman said: “We really believe that children going to school is incredibly important, and people were asked to think of ways to increase attendance – this was one option.”

Since September 2013, under guidance from the Department of Education, children can only be taken out of school during term time in “exceptional circumstances”.

Stephen McClarence