MORE than 120 parents from Bournemouth and Poole were brought before the courts since September of last year for failing to send their children to school.

The defendants were prosecuted for offences relating to the school year between September 2017 and July 2018. In total, 55 of the cases were Bournemouth parents, while 67 were parents from Poole.

On Thursday, a father was convicted of not sending his 11-year-old son to a Bournemouth school regularly between January and April.

The man, who did not attend Poole Magistrates' Court for the trial, was fined £60 and ordered to pay a £30 surcharge and £100 costs.

In November, parents who failed to send their 12-year-old to his lessons were also fined.

The man and woman, who cannot be named as it would identify their child, didn't ensure their son went to school on series of dates between January and April this year.

Although the child's mother admitted being the parent of a child of compulsory school age who was registered at a school but failed to attend regularly, the boy's father denied the charge.

He was convicted following a trial.

The mother was fined £266 and ordered to pay £200 costs and a £30 surcharge. The male defendant was fined £630 and ordered to pay a £63 surcharge and £500 costs.

By law, all children of compulsory school age - normally four to 16 - must receive a suitable full-time education. Parents are legally responsible for making sure they go regularly.