THE mother of a teenage truant has been told she faces jail if her daughter fails to regularly attend school.

Ann Madden, also known as Lesley Fountain, was given the warning after a court was told her 15-year-old daughter ignored repeated requests to turn up for lessons at Blackfyne Community School, in Consett.

Durham magistrates heard that her daughter attended only 60 of a possible 240 school sessions in the first two terms of the academic year, from September.

All but 23 of these absences were considered unauthorised.

Madden, 46, was given a 12-month conditional discharge by the court, in July 2003, over her daughter's previous school absences.

Mike Hill, for Durham County Council, said within a fortnight of the start of term last September, after the girl had not attended one school session, a first warning letter was sent to the family.

Over the following months, the education welfare service visited the family nine times, and informed them regularly by letter, but "no acceptable reasons" were given for the bulk of her absences.

Arrangements were made for her to go on a partial timetable, and even for her to attend lessons with friends.

Although there were phases when she did attend school for a short while, each time she lapsed back into truancy.

Madden, of Medomsley Road, Consett, admitted a charge of failing to cause her child to regularly attend school, brought under the Education Welfare Act of 1996.

The offence carries a potential fine of £2,500 or a maximum three-month prison sentence.

David Malone, for Madden, said: "It's a very unfortunate situation. She's at the end of her tether trying to arrange for her daughter to go to school.

"She's done everything in her power to get her daughter to attend school on a regular basis, but she literally can't drag her to school, that would be illegal."

Mr Malone added that since Madden made an initial appearance at court last month, her daughter, who has just over a year left of her school life, has been attending lessons.

Fining her £75 with an order to pay £50 costs, the chairman of the magistrates, John Mason, told Madden: "In future, you will leave us with no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.

"I hope you stress this to your daughter," he added, to which Madden replied: "I've tried."