HEADTEACHERS across Wyre Forest have praised a new truancy watch scheme launched by a Kidderminster organisation.

The measure, which will see staff at various town stores using descriptions of school uniforms to identify which one the pupil comes from, was announced at a meeting of the town's Partners And Communities Together group.

Members of Kidderminster Retail Initiative and Safety Programme - KRISP - came up with the idea a year ago but, due to staff absences, the watch tailed off over recent months.

With the support of local schools they are keen to start up again, however.

Helen Dyke, KRISP business, crime reduction co-ordinator said: "We've always done this sort of thing to a certain degree but, due to staff absences within KRISP, things have tailed off. However, in the next couple of months, we will start the watch back up again.

"The schools that we have spoken to so far have been fully supportive of this and we are intending to talk to the children about it in school assemblies."

Mrs Dyke added they had previously supported the police in their work and notified various outlets across the town centre if a child was reported missing.

Around 70 outlets across Weavers Wharf, the Swan Shopping Centre, the Rowland Hill Centre, Worcester Street and Crossley Park are involved in KRISP.

Headteacher of Wolverley High School, Kevin O'Regan, said: "We're pleased to hear of this new truancy watch scheme as we clearly want our children in school.

"Obviously, if we did receive a phone call from someone about one of our pupils being out of school, we would send someone out to collect them immediately.

"We're pleased that the organisation is supporting education in this way because if the children are not in school then they can't learn anything."

Tim Gulliver, headteacher of King Charles I School in Kidderminster, also backed the idea, saying: "We are fully supportive of any community action which encourages pupils to stay in school on a full-time basis."