PARENTS from Hampshire who have taken their children out of school without authorisation have appeared in court.

Many of those who were summoned to Southampton Magistrates’ Court were there because they had taken their youngsters out of school during term time to jet off on holiday.

Whether it was because they had managed to bag a bargain getaway before the schools broke up, to attend the wedding of a relative or share their honeymoon as a family, all were fined.

A total of 17 parents were summoned to court by Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council after they failed to pay fixed penalty notices following a spate of unauthorised absences.

Nine of those were as a result of taking their children out of class without the school’s permission for a holiday.

One dad told the magistrates that he had taken his son out of school because he had recently got married and they had all gone away as a family on honeymoon.

He claimed that when he went to the school to fill out a holiday form for the 11 school days his child would be missing he was told by staff that they wouldn’t authorise it.

He added: “I thought it was a little unfair they would be giving me a fine when we were away on our honeymoon.”

Another Dad vented his anger at magistrates after finding himself in court for not paying a fine related to him and his partner taking their child out of school during term time for seven days for a holiday.

He said: “It just doesn’t seem right. I am trying to do the right thing by asking the school to negotiate so we can go on holiday but they get back to us just 11 days before the flight, when we filed the request four months earlier.

“We tried to do it the right way and it seems we are being punished now. It really makes me angry.”

One mum told the court that she resented being punished for taking her daughter out of school for six days because it was to attend her brother’s wedding abroad.

She said: “It was a one-off for us.”

Eight parents found themselves in court because their children had repeatedly missed school over a sustained period of time, without providing legitimate reasons for their absences, despite several attempts by the schools to work with parents to solve the problems.

In total £4,118 worth of fines were handed out by magistrates’ chairwoman Mrs Inkson to the 17 parents summoned to court and found guilty.

Those who failed to turn up had the case heard in their absence.

A school can request the local authority to issue a fixed penalty notice of £60 per parent, which doubles to £120 if not paid within 21 days, if a child has five consecutive days off school which are unauthorised.

If that fine is unpaid after 28 days the parents are summoned to court.

Cases prosecuted by the two local education authorities are heard once a month.