ALMOST half the number of schoolchildren found truanting from school in York in the last year were with their parents, new figures revealed today.

City of York Council Truancy Watch, which runs patrols in and around the city centre to target pupils taking time off school without permission, described the findings as "worrying".

Between September last year and June this year there have been 16 patrols - two a month- carried out by a police officer and an education social worker.

Of the 104 children they found, 49 were accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The reasons given in these cases included dental and medical appointments and problems at school, including bullying.

But in the other cases, excuses included buying school uniforms or shopping, young brothers' or sisters' or parents' illness, and getting up late and taking a day off to recover after going away for the weekend.

Gaynor Norris, education social worker for the council, said: "The patrols in the city centre have shown that the majority of children approached are not with parents, although it is worrying that a significant number of children are accompanied by a parent.

"This is despite the increasing awareness of the importance of good school attendance. Many parents continue to see shopping trips etc as valid reasons for non-school attendance."

Other reasons given for truanting included dislike of teachers or school, being bullied, illness, changing school or having been excluded.

Gaynor said: "For a number of children, it seems that truanting from school was their way of avoiding dealing with difficulties at school. They were encouraged and supported to seek more positive ways of dealing with the situation."

Of the 104 children stopped, 32 were from primary schools, 60 from secondary, six from the Pupil Support Centre and six from special schools. Truancy patrols have been running in York for three years and the joint work by the council and police has received national recognition and praise.

Updated: 11:48 Thursday, June 27, 2002