A LAW specialist has called for ‘common sense and consistency’ as new figures reveal regional differences in fines imposed on parents whose children miss school.

Figures obtained by law firm Simpson Millar through a freedom of information request reveal that 4,403 absenteeism fines were imposed on parents by North-East councils in the 2015/16 academic year.

This made £264,000 for the councils in a single year, with Durham and South Tyneside the most prolific in issuing fines; handing out 927 and 924 respectively.

Darlington Borough Council issued 505 fines, earning £30,300, while North Yorkshire County Council handed out 455 totalling £27,300.

However, Simpson Millar specialists say that parents are often mislead into believing that they have no right to appeal such fines and criticised a ‘postcode lottery’ with some schools far more prolific in issuing them than others.

To illustrate this, the law firm points out that 27 councils combined issued nearly the same number of fines, 5,691, as Suffolk County Council issued on its own in the last school year.

Solicitor Julie Robertson from Simpson Millar, who specialises in helping families challenge unreasonable fines, said: “What one head teacher agrees are special circumstances, another doesn’t. It is a postcode lottery.

“We need more consistency and, in some areas, more common sense.

“Clearly, some schools are using their discretion appropriately where the parents are sensible in their choices and decisions.

“Others seem to be rather abundant in slapping parents with a fine regardless of the circumstances. You have to wonder why, for example, almost twice as many fines were issued in the North West compared with London.”

Education Penalty Notices were introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 in a bid to help curb unauthorised absence for school children.

But the law has increasingly outraged parents who have been fined for taking children with a good attendance record out of school for a specific reason.

This could include a holiday that may have an educational value and Ms Robertson argues that common sense should be applied in cases where children have an otherwise exceptional attendance record.

Ms Robertson is also concerned about parents’ lack of understanding when it comes to their rights to challenge the fines, and says they are often told wrongly that they have no right to appeal.

She said this was “misleading and very concerning”, and amounted to a breach of duty.

Nationally, if all 114,165 fines issued by the 105 councils that responded to the request were paid within 21 days, it would amount to £6,849,900 collected.