Most of the children caught bunking off school at the end of last term were Christmas shopping with their parents, it has been revealed.

Truancy patrols by police and education workers in the city centre netted more than 100 children in two days in the run-up to Christmas.

Some 88 per cent were accompanied by a parent. And although 40 per cent, when challenged, claimed their child was too ill for classes, they clearly believed they were fit for a trip to the shops.

The patrols were run on December 7 and 12 and aimed to uncover not just regular truants, but the levels of parentally-condoned absence.

On Friday, December 7, the patrol was run by six police officers and five education social workers, between 9.30am and 2.30pm. In that time eight unaccompanied youngsters were picked up, interviewed and their parents informed.

During the same period 47 children who were accompanied by parents were stopped by police and social workers. Parents were asked why their child was not in school, and their replies were challenged.

The following week - December 12 - the exercise was repeated when only five lone youngsters were picked up, but another 53 young people were stopped while accompanied by a parent.

Various reasons were given by parents for their children not being at school. Only five per cent admitted they were shopping. A total of 40 per cent claimed the child was ill and 14 per cent said they were on their way to a medical appointment. Five per cent gave no reason, seven per cent were excluded from school and six per cent said their child was not required to attend.

A report by Neil Hellewell, seconded to work as Truancy Patrol Co-ordinator for the district, said: "In the category 'other', reasons given included 'awaiting bus pass', 'just moved house and not yet on roll at new school', and 'not attending due to bullying'.

"The worrying aspect was the number of children accompanied by parents, a total of 100 children, of which 55 per cent were of primary school age. It was equally disturbing that 40 parents claimed their children were not well enough to attend school, but were fit enough to shop."

He said research concluded the issue of children playing truant in the city centre was not seen as a major problem by traders and there was no evidence of school age children committing crime.