The jailing of Banbury mother Patricia Amos for letting her children miss school has highlighted the problem of truancy. Education Reporter Tim Hughes joined a special patrol in Carterton.

Educational social worker Katharine Nathan and school and youth officer Pc Richard Barnes Pupils playing truant in north and west Oxfordshire have had a shock this week.

Police officers, social workers and youth officers have joined forces in a crackdown on children who are missing out on their daily doses of education.

They have pounded the streets and knocked on doors to get the message across that truancy will not be tolerated.

"Most people see this as important," said Pc Dave Rich. "It reminds people that bunking off school is against the law."

Pc Rich, a community officer in Carterton, is a firm believer in tackling potential problems before they arise.

He has a soft spot for the young people of his town, but clearly likes to know where they are.

On Thursday, he joined other officers from Carterton police station, youth officers, and education social workers from Oxfordshire County Council to check up on young people playing truant from the town's community college.

The 'sweep' was the latest in a series of operations against truancy in Oxfordshire.

It coincided with a similar sweep in Burford, and came at the end of a week of patrols carried out in the north and west of the county, during which officers spoke to more than 100 absent pupils.

Armed with lists of absent pupils, officers and social workers knocked on doors, phoned parents, and targeted young people in the streets, to hammer home the message that truancy will no longer be tolerated.

The exercise follows the imprisonment of Banbury mother Patricia Amos, 43, who was sentenced to 60 days for allowing her two teenage daughters to play truant over a two-year period. Yet this was no 'Big Brother' style get-tough policy.

In fact, the most impressive thing about the patrols was the level of support they have received from parents.

Inevitably, mistakes have occurred, largely as a result of poor record-keeping by schools or some parents failing to inform teachers when their children are ill.

But, with only a few exceptions, parents have welcomed the patrols, and accepted the need to ensure their children are receiving the best possible education.

Just 16 children were spoken to in Carterton and Burford, including two pupils who were picked up in Carterton after slipping away from school premises without permission.

Most others had excuses for being off - usually sickness.

"You must keep the school informed about what is happening," education social worker Katherine Nathan told the mother of one sick child listed as 'unauthorised absent' by her school.

"The school thinks she is playing truant, even though she isn't."

Pc Rich was joined on patrol by northern Oxfordshire's senior education social worker David Glover.

He said: "We're reinforcing the message about low attendance. People can't help but be aware that sweeps have already happened in Banbury, Bicester and Witney.

"I only stopped two young people in the street, but that's a reflection that the message is getting through.

"Out of all the people I have spoken to in the streets, I have been struck that they appreciate some one is doing this, and see it as quite important. It has been a useful exercise."

Pc Rich said: "The patrols send the right signals to parents and pupils alike.

"Whether they like those signals is another matter.

"I would like to think we have a good working relationship with young people in the town. In the main, they like us, and know we're not here to harass them.

"This kind of exercise lets people know where we are. It's not a case of Big Brother, but of preventing things happening.

"The Banbury case has pulled people up by the boot strings."

Commenting on this week's sweep, Thames Valley Police youth and schools officer Pc Rebecca Burnell said: "It has been a really successful week and the message seems to be getting through to parents about the importance of making sure their children are in school.

"The Amos case has made an impact on school attendance figures and the increased publicity has also helped.

"These patrols will be repeated and, if children are playing truant, we will be talking to them."