A COUNTY mum is calling for a change in the rules surrounding term-time holidays after returning home to receive a £120 fine.

Becky Bloomfield, 35, organised a family holiday to Majorca for her children, Kris, 13, and Sophie, 10, to spend time with their grandfather, Ken, who was undergoing chemotherapy for bowel cancer.

Both schools, Queen Elizabeth Humanities College in Bromyard and Brockhampton Academy refused permission for the pupils to take the holiday in term time as it did not fall into guidelines for “special circumstances”.

Challenging the decision, Mrs Bloomfield told the school she still intended to travel and booked the holiday to Majorca in July.

But the family soon received the devastating news that their ‘pops’ had around three months to live, after suffering several seizures as a side effect from harsh chemotherapy and was not well enough to travel with them.

“It devastated us he was such a big part of our lives,” said Mrs Bloomfield.

“As a family we discussed this and he was keen we went on without him, not a decision we made lightly, but as parents we decided that having to tell the children that they couldn’t travel with nanny and granddad was hard enough without telling them they couldn’t go at all.”

Sadly, on September 25, the children’s granddad died.

But the family was not only left to deal with their grief but also faced a £120 fine issued by Herefordshire Council.

“I refused to pay as I strongly feel I had special circumstances for taking my children out of school.

I have now been threatened with court action. My intention is to fight this,” added Mrs Bloomfield.

A spokesman at Brockhampton Primary School said the school follows government guidelines in relation to term-time holidays.

In a statement, Queen Elizabeth Humanities College said it is not able to comment on specific reasons why leave is either granted or refused.