MORE than 1,000 Herefordshire parents have been fined for taking their children out of school during term-time since tough new regulations were introduced three years ago.

But after a slight rise in cases in 2014/2015, more Ledbury parents appear to be heeding the warnings, as local statistics show an apparent fall for the present year.

Figures from Herefordshire Council show there were "less than ten" Ledbury parents fined for taking their children on holiday during term time, during 2013/2014.

This rose to 25 in 2014/2015; but the figure so far for this period, 2015/2016, shows a fall to just 15 cases in Ledbury.

In this respect, Ledbury is bucking the trend for the county.

But it was a Ledbury case which hit local and national headlines last summer, when a mother who had taken her nine-year-old daughter on a backpacking holiday through Europe, causing her to miss more than three weeks of school, was fined by Herefordshire Magistrates.

Jackie Turner, of Leominster, failed to secure permission from Ledbury Primary School before taking Hazel Sequira on the trip which included stops at countries including Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia.

Herefordshire Council decided to prosecute the 50-year-old as the absence saw Hazel's attendance dip below the required threshold for that term.

Mrs Turner argued the trip was of educational benefit and said the attendance should be considered over the course of a whole year, not just one term.

Hazel's father, Maxon Sequira, 44, from Oatleys Crescent in Ledbury, received the same punishment despite not going on the trip as the council also declared him at fault for not ensuring Hazel was at school during the three-week period.

Figures released by Herefordshire Council revealed how a total of 389 £60 penalty notices were issued to parents of primary and secondary school children in the 2014/15 financial year.

It was a 30 per cent increase on the 2013/15 figure of 299. In the most recent financial year, 2015/16, the figure rose again to 430 – a rise of 10 per cent on the previous year.

The figures were released following a debate in parliament earlier this month about school penalty fines and authorised absence.

In May this year, the High Court backed a father’s refusal to pay a fine for taking his children out of school for a holiday.

However, Herefordshire Council said it has not changed its policy on term time absences and each case is assessed on an individual basis.

On its website, the council states: "If you wish to apply to take your child out of school during term time the request should be put in writing at least six weeks in advance to the head teacher who will consider if there are exceptional circumstances relating to your application. You should consult your child's school attendance policy.

“If you take your child out of school and the absence is not agreed by the head teacher, this will be recorded as unauthorised absence. The school will then notify us and you may face a Fixed Penalty Notice and/or other legal action."

The fixed penalty notice is £60 per parent, per child, if paid within 21 days or £120 per parent per child if paid before 28 days.

The total number of penalty notices issued for unauthorised absences by Herefordshire primary schools in the 2013/14 financial year was 141. That rose to 166 in 2014/15 but dropped to 117 in 2015/16.

However, secondary schools showed a slightly different picture. In 2013/14 the total number of penalty notices issued was 158 and that rose again in 2014/15 to 223.

But in the 2015/16 period the number jumped again to 313.

It is not yet known how much has been paid by parents in fines, or how much is outstanding, but this information is expected to be released by the council shortly.

Failure to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice can lead to legal proceedings.