POLICE officers were back out on the streets of Chard town centre yesterday (Tuesday) morning - as the News went to press - looking to pick up children playing truant from school.

Officers and social workers were out looking for stragglers bunking off from lessons at Holyrood Commun-ity School.

Sgt Andy Lloyd said: "It isn't a massive problem at Holyrood, but this exercise is just putting the needle back on the record and playing the right tune. We want to reduce the number of truants.

"It's reassuring for parents to know where their child is during the day because if they're at school it means they're safe and, just as importantly, not getting into trouble themselves."

Sgt Lloyd said they would also carry out visits to the homes of children who had failed to turn up for registration yesterday morning.

"The head teacher, Maurice Hicks, is very supportive of this action," he said.

A similar truancy sweep was held in March last year at Holyrood, Swanmead Community School, Il-minster, and Wadham Community and Maiden Beech schools in Crew-kerne.

Social workers and police on that occasion sent 36 truants back to school or home.

Mr Hicks told the News: "We're del-ighted to be working with the police and other local schools once again in addressing the problem of unauthorised absences from school.

"We've done these truancy sweeps in the past and plan to repeat them several times during the year."

"The Government's making it clear that unauthorised absence is not acceptable and will lead to follow-ups with the parents concerned.

"Truancy means a child is away from school, and so is missing out on learning and harming their life chances, as well as possibly putting themselves at risk."