The number of fines handed out to Buckinghamshire parents for failing to send their children to school has almost doubled since 2014, new figures reveal.

Figures revealed following a Freedom of Information Request show Bucks County Council issued 765 penalties to parents in 2014/15 for truancy committed by their children or taking them on holiday during term time, compared with 1,493 in 2016/17.

From 2015 to 2016 a total of 1,086 penalty notices were issued.

Across England and Wales parents have been fined around £24 million over the last three years after their children failed to turn up to school.

Parents are only handed penalty notices if their child is absent for more than five days, according to Bucks County Councillor, Julia Wassell.

She said: “Obviously for higher educational attainment the children need to be in school. For an absence under 5 days there is no penalty notice so there is some leeway. Longer absences are detrimental to the child and school attendance figures.

“As we know travel companies ratchet up the prices of holidays in the school holidays which is very tough on the family income. There are also cases of compassionate leave needed due to family death abroad.

“However schools are there to provide consistent education throughout the term and this needs to be respected and prioritised.”

Director of education campaign group, Parents and Teachers for Excellence, Mark Lehain, said short absences can create a “knock on impact” for the pupil.

He said: “Whilst no one wants to fine parents, it’s important that pupils are in school as much as possible.

“Even short absences have a big knock-on impact - to the child, their classmates and their teachers. While you can't do as much about absence due to illness, you can about absence due to term-time holidays.

“We strongly encourage all parents and schools to work together to ensure that children are in class as much as possible, and that term-time holidays are completely avoided.

Since 2013, following guidance from the Department of Education, children can only be taken out of school during term time in exceptional circumstances – with parents facing a fine if they skip school.

Parents who fail to pay the penalty could face a fine of up to £2,500 or even a three month prison sentence.