Kent County Council has resurrected a 10-year-old scheme to bring police in on a county-wide crackdown on truancy.

The council and Kent Police's school attendance officers have begun an operation to clamp down on pupils missing from school - spotting 16 children during the first day, seven of which whom were with their parents.

According to the council, one grandparent was challenged by officers about why her granddaughter was out shopping and not in school, because the child's mother had told school staff the pupil had flu and was too ill to go in.

A Year 12 pupil was found in one Kent town centre after he was excluded from a secondary school.

The teenager was warned by police that by law an excluded student must not be in any public place during school hours.

A spokesman said KCC is considering taking legal action against the parents for allowing him to be in the town centre while being excluded - which could lead to a fine.

Matt Dunkley, Kent County Council’s corporate director for children, young people and education, said: “Maximum attendance is key to benefitting from the good teaching and learning opportunities provided by the schools.

"Government research indicates a significant negative link between overall absence and attainment, with every day missed associated with lower attainment outcomes."

"We believe children’s good attendance record is integral to enabling children to fulfil their potential."

The operation involves sweeps of public places by police to spot pupils who are out of school.

In the past three years, school attendance rate in Kent has improved with an overall primary attendance rate of 96 per cent and secondary schools of 95 per cent - but police say any child missing time at school can be drawn into crime.

Sergeant Simon Drew, from Kent Police, added: “Children who miss school and frequent public places during school hours do not only miss out on educational opportunities, they are also at risk of being drawn into crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

“Kent Police has a shared interest with the local authority to reduce the number of schoolchildren missing education or being excluded from school.”