Bilston parents guilty over truancy

A couple from the Black Country allowed their children to miss almost three quarters of lessons during a school term, a court heard.

Alison Butler, aged 40, and David Woollam, 50, let their five-year-old daughter miss 73 per cent of classes.

The pair's 11-year-old son also avoided 72 per cent of lessons, the court was told.

The couple, of Wellington Road, Bilston, told staff at the town's Moseley Park School their son was too upset to attend lessons after experiencing an armed raid on his grandmother's home.

But they failed to explain why their daughter missed sessions at Fieldview Primary School between November 2009 and February, Wolverhampton Magistrates Court heard yesterday.

They were both found guilty of two counts of knowingly failing to secure their children's regular attendance at school.

Magistrate Davinder Sangha said: "There is overwhelming evidence that both parents were contacted by the school and help was offered on numerous occasions.

"They knowingly failed to ensure regular attendance of the two children."

Lorraine Hubble, education welfare officer with Wolverhampton City Council, said she had repeatedly tried to get in touch with the couple to resolve the situation but to no avail.

She told how she had sent letters to the couple, requested meetings and visited their home in a bid to discover why the youngsters were being kept off school.

She said she was so concerned by the children's ongoing absence that she asked a police officer to make a check on the property.

"When the boy did return to school, mum bought him in at 10am and told school staff she was going to ease him back in gently and would pick him up two hours later at 12," said Ms Hubble.

"It was unacceptable."

Butler and Woollam, who did not attend the trial or have legal representation, will be sentenced at the same court on July 5.