THE biggest ever truancy sweep in Darlington has been carried out - and pupils skipping school are being warned that more campaigns will follow.

Police and Darlington Borough Council chiefs launched the operation on Tuesday, the first to involve the whole town.

Ninety-five youngsters were stopped. Thirty-seven were accompanied by their parents.

A variety of excuses for the children not attending school were given and education welfare officers will be checking every case.

Seven police officers, four community support officers and six borough council officials carried out the sweep.

PC Stacey Vials, of Darlington police, said: "When sickness was cited as a reason for absence, the education officers would have much preferred that the youngsters were at home, instead of out and about in the town."

She said the operation had been a great success and that similar sweeps would be carried out in the future, as part of continued efforts to crack down on the increasing truancy problem.

A council spokeswoman said: "The results that we get from our truancy sweeps show that there are still a number of parents who think it is okay to take their children out of school.

"We will continue to do all that we can to make sure parents and children understand the benefits of school."