A 14-YEAR-OLD girl wept in court as her mother was given a six-week suspended prison sentence because she constantly played truant from school.

Shirley Jones was given the sentence, suspended for two years, after Worcester Magistrates Court heard that her daughter Roseanne (CORR) attended just 48 half-day sessions, out of a possible 346 from September 2006 to July 2007.

The magistrates brought Roseanne, a pupil at Elgar Technology College, into the courtroom to listen as they passed sentence on her mother.

Caroline Mayfield, chairman of the magistrates, told Roseanne: "We brought you in here because we wanted you to know how serious this is. You must co-operate with the education service and really must go to school. If you don't you know what will happen."

Thirty-seven-year-old Jones had admitted a charge of failing to ensure her child attended school, when she appeared at the court yesterday.(WEDS) It was the third time the mother-of-four, of Waterside Park, Offerton Lane, Worcester, had been prosecuted for allowing her children to play truant. Five years ago she was fined for not ensuring her son attended school, and last year she was fined because Roseanne was playing truant.

The prosecution was brought by Worcestershire County Council. An education welfare officer, from the council, told the court they had done everything they could to help Jones with Roseanne's attendance but she continued to miss school.

Jones, who was representing herself, told the court her daughter was being "bothered" by a 24-year-old man and stayed off school for fear of being confronted by him. She said this had now been reported to police, who were investigating.

She added that she was now looking into getting home tuition for her daughter.

In sentencing Jones, Mrs Mayfield, said: "This is a very serious offence that has been going on for a long time, and it's not the first time."

The case follows a number of truancy prosecutions in the county in recent months. Speaking after the hearing, Thomas Hunter, prosecuting for the council, said attendance across the city's schools had improved following publicity about the cases.