A COURT'S decision to electronically tag a mother who failed to send her son to school has been criticised by a local MP.

Shona Hamilton was ordered to wear the tag on her left ankle by magistrates on Teesside after her 15-year-old son repeatedly missed school.

The mother-of-five was taken to court by Stockton Borough Council over her son James's truancy from Blakeston Community Sports College in the town.

It is thought to be the first time that a parent from Teesside has been tagged for their child's non-attendance at school.

Ms Hamilton, of Durham Road, Thorpe Thewles, Teesside, claimed her son was being bullied. However, the school denied the claim and, on Monday this week, the 46-year-old was ordered to wear the tag for the next two months.

Stockton South MP Dari Taylor said she was "astounded" by the verdict of the court, which she said served no obvious purpose.

Ms Taylor said: "Surely in a case like this, the priority has to be the needs of the child. Very clearly, what we have here is a mother who is not coping, and I fail to see what useful purpose putting a tag on her is going to serve. I'm astounded by this decision, to be quite frank."

Ms Hamilton was also given a curfew ordering her to stay at home between 8pm and 7am.

However, she said she suffered from agoraphobia, so rarely left her home to go out.

Ms Hamilton, who worked at the Vane Arms pub in Thorpe Thewles until last year, said she was also asthmatic, had high blood pressure and was on anti-depressants.

A Stockton Borough Council spokesman said the council could not comment on individual cases, but that it only would only seek a prosecution as a final solution.