SCHOOLCHILDREN who were out on the streets of Darwen instead of being in the classroom were stopped by police as part of a truancy crackdown.

Sergeant Graham Eccles, of Blackburn police, carried out the operation together with other police officers and an education welfare officer.

Truancy has been a major problem in Darwen and police said they wanted to convey to parents the message that it was unacceptable behaviour.

Twenty-six children accompanied by their parents were stopped.

Two who were not with parents were taken back to school and seven children were not in school because they had been excluded.

Children who were with their parents were given advice by the education welfare officer.

Sgt Eccles said: "The message we want to get across is that it is the parents' responsibility to get their child to school and to be educated.

"There were a lot of feeble excuses given, such as children had a virus, when they were clearly out shopping."

He said that all age groups of children, from primary school and upwards, were stopped.

Sgt Eccles added that truancy was a growing problem and something had to be done to stop it.

Anyone who believes somebody might be truanting is asked to ring the Community Safety Department at Blackburn on 01254 353600.

A new law, S16 of the Crime and Disorder Act, means police can take truants to "premises designated by the local education authority" - which, in Blackburn with Darwen's case, means the pupil referral unit in Lambeth Street, where they can be assessed.

In two truant sweeps in Darwen and Blackburn town centres over four days last year, 58 pupils were caught truanting and 122 were out of school illegally with their parents' consent.