PARENTS whose children are persistently late for class face being fined up to £100 in a new crackdown.

Headteachers at schools run by both Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire education authorities have been told to make a note of pupils who repeatedly turn up after registration.

Parents will be hit with the same £50 to £100 fines given to parents whose children either persistently play truant or who take their youngsters on holiday in term time without permission.

The revelation prompted anger today and claims it could lead to parents being fined if a school bus is late.

New powers awarded in January by the Government to local education authorities to tackle truancy and absenteeism are to be used from next term. After a handful of pilot areas which trailed the scheme in the spring, Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen are among the first to use the powers.

Fines will be triggered for parents whose children miss 20 unauthorised half-days in any school year or 12 unauthorised half-days in any term.

Current figures show primary school pupils in Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire miss an average of nine half-days a year in authorised absence, compared to 18 for secondary schools.

The fines start at £50 and rise to £100 if not paid within 28 days.

Coun Dave Hollings, Blackburn with Darwen Council's education boss, said: "Circumstances which may trigger a penalty include parentally-condoned absence, unauthorised holidays, unwarranted delayed returned from an extended holiday and persistent late arrival which is often indicative of a wider problem for the youngster.

"Persistent lateness interrupts classes for other pupils who have got to school on time."

But Blackburn councillor Paul McGurty, himself a father of two school-aged children, said: "This is over-egging the pudding. There could be a multitude of reasons why a child is late. It could be that the bus they come on is regularly late or that they are bullied on the way into school.

"It isn't as cut-and-dried as ignoring a school's wish for pupils not to go on holiday in term-time. It has the potential to cause tension."