A MOTHER who repeatedly failed to to send her child to school has been spared a prison sentence.

The woman, who cannot be identified, had been convicted by Wrexham magistrates of a similar offence on two previous occasions and had been fined and told to pay costs.

However, for the latest prosecution Wrexham Council used a different section of the Education Act 1996 which meant the mother could have been imprisoned for the offence.

In this case, the judge gave the parent an Intensive Alternative to Custody (IAC) Community Order, which is a new Welsh Assembly order that had come into force only days earlier.

It means the woman will have to undergo 12 months’ supervision with the probation service, have to complete a specific activity to engage in employment and training and attend a future skills parenting programme run by the probation service.

The mother was also ordered to pay costs of £80.

Council leader Cllr Aled Roberts said: “Wrexham Council will do everything it can to support families in such cases but there are instances when the parents themselves have to accept greater responsibility.

“The courts have handed out a sentence that reflects the seriousness of this offence.

“This sends a clear message from the council who undertook the prosecution and the court which imposed the sentence to parents who do not assume that responsibility.

“Every child in Wrexham has a right to a decent education in order that they achieve their full potential and every parent has the duty to send their child to school on time and regularly.”