HUNDREDS of Worcestershire parents have been fined for taking their children on holiday during term time - with council chiefs taking a hard line despite a high-profile High Court ruling overturning a similar sanction elsewhere.
New figures obtained reveal how 791 people were issued £60 fines for 'unauthorised absences' during the 2014/15 academic year - a 76 per cent increase on the 448 people fined during 2013/14, the first year the current rules were introduced.
The latest figures have led to renewed calls from schools for parents to toe the line, whilst those on the receiving end of fines have hit out at the growing numbers being issued.
Bosses at County Hall have defended the fines system, introduced by the Department of Education in 2013.
That ruling said headteachers could only authorise absences during term time in “exceptional circumstances” such as funerals.
Previously, headteachers had discretion in granting up to two weeks of absence for pupils with good attendance records.
The £60 fines rise to £120 if they are not paid within 21 days, and apply on a 'per parent, per child' basis.
Councillor Marc Bayliss, cabinet member for children and families at Worcestershire County Council, said: "The increase in penalty notices is due to new legislation introduced in 2013, and the number of fines issued has remained comparative with other authorities."
In May a High Court ruling went in favour of Jon Platt, who took his daughter out of school on the Isle of Wight for a family holiday during term time that the girl’s school had refused to authorise.
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