Record numbers of parents are prosecuted as their children avoid school

More than 10,600 people were prosecuted with over 8,000 convicted in 2009, according to Ministry of Justice statistics.

This means the equivalent of 56 parents or guardians were facing criminal proceedings every day of the school year.

Some 14 were sent to jail – just over one for every month – facing an average sentence of around one month, the figures show.

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information, show that 10,697 people in England were prosecuted for truancy-related offences in 2009. Of these, 8,330 were found guilty.

In 2008, 9,505 were taken to court, and 7,290 were convicted.

Of the 14 sent to jail, 13 were women. Campaign group Parents Outloud, said: "There are some parents who are irresponsible, but there are lots of parents that I've come across who have really, really struggled. If you've got a 15 or 16-year-old who doesn't want to go to school or to stay in school, there's not an awful lot as a parent, no matter how much you care, that you can do about it."