A TRUANCY crackdown discovered more than 70 school absentees in just one day in Southampton.

The sweep by police and council education officers was part of an ongoing programme in the city.

They admitted they were concerned at the high figures and said there could have been even more who were not caught.

Excuses given by parents included "shopping".

The crackdown follows a similar initiative in towns in the New Forest where about 50 youngsters were stopped and questioned, as reported in yesterday's Daily Echo.

Of the 89 youngsters quizzed in Southampton, 18 were returned to school and 56 were with their parents or had permission to be absent.

A week-long programme of truancy sweeps in December uncovered 210 youngsters absent from schools across the city.

Chief Insp Beau Fisk, head of the city's community policing team, said: "Not only were the results of the latest sweep for one day but what also makes this figure somewhat startling is that it happened only three days after the start of the new school term and truants were identified in spite of the freezing temperatures.

"Those 74 were just the ones we found, which begs the question: How many more are there out there?"

He urged parents to be more responsible about their children's schooling, after some of the reasons they gave for them being absent included "shopping for shoes".

The crackdown took place last Wednesday across the city, including shopping areas.

"What is clear is that some parents and children do not recognise that truancy is a serious matter and should not be treated as only a matter of bunking off from school," said Chief Insp Fisk.

"Truancy affects individual pupils in their attainment and potential for future advancement.

"Truancy also impacts on crime and disorder through quality of life issues and fear of crime."

Councillor Richard Harris, Cabinet member for lifelong learning and training, said: "Yet again we would emphasise to parents the importance of their children attending school.

"If children are not at school, they miss out badly and their standards suffer.

"We cannot condone a child being absent from school without permission and, certainly, shopping is not an acceptable excuse for taking a child off school."