MORE than 100 fines have been issued to parents in Essex who took children out of school during term time, new figures show.

Between September last year and July, Essex County Council handed out 118 fines to parents who took their children on holiday during the academic year.

A total of 64 fines have been given to parents since September.

But Southend Council issued no fines to parents during the same period.

Councils were given the power to hand out the fines, which range from £50 to £100 per child, under the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003. If it is not paid within 42 days, parents can be taken to court and ordered to pay up to £1,000.

It has not been revealed how much money the county council has collected in fines However, Parentline Plus spokeswoman Gaynor Quilter, which has an Essex centre based in Hadleigh, said fines only made problems worse for parents.

She said: “We believe in support rather than blame.

“I know from thousands of calls to Parentline that punishment doesn’t work as it adds to parents’ isolation and anxiety.”

However, Alison Brant, headteacher of Pitsea Junior School, said removing children from school during term time can have a major impact on their education.

She said: “If you’re doing a subject like fractions or division, the children might only do them once in that school year. This means they can miss a really important part of their education.

“There’s always something going on in schools the children miss if they are away for a week or two.

“You can’t make up for 25 hours of teaching.”

Mrs Brant said working closely with parents could be more effective than fines, helping them realise the importance of keeping their children at school.

Toby Allanson, a spokesman for Essex County Council, said money from fines went towards the council’s education budget, which pays for education welfare officers and other schemes.