A SOUTH Lakeland mother whose children attended no more than 55 school days out of 204 was warned of her duty to ensure they went more regularly.

Magistrates heard that an 11-year-old was absent on 149 occasions between January and June this year, and a 15-year-old stayed away from school for 159 days.

Yet despite several letters from education welfare officers urging their mother to improve the poor attendance record, no progress was made and she was brought before the courts "as a last resort."

The court heard that the family had experienced "difficult times" during the past two years following the break-up of the woman's marriage which had had a big impact on them all.

Magistrates told the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, that the children were old enough to "vote with their feet" and they realised she may still have problems, but the onus was on her to get them to school.

She was given a 10-month conditional order of discharge, ordered to pay £50 costs and told to "take advantage of all the support being offered from education welfare officers."