Three West Cumbrian parents have been taken to court for failing to ensure their child attended school regularly.

They appeared at North and West Cumbria Magistrates Court in Workington on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to the offence.

The families cannot be identified for legal reasons. The children attended a mixture of primary and secondary schools in the Allerdale area.

All the parents had been brought to court by the county council because their child had failed to attend school regularly for a period of ten months or over.

Two parents were ordered to attend counselling and guidance sessions for three months.

One of the parents was also fined £80 and ordered to pay £100 costs and a £20 surcharge.

Two parents were each discharged conditionally for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 costs and a £20 surcharge.

A spokesman for the county council said: "The council issues fixed penalty notices to parents when a child has persistent unauthorised absences from school. Penalty notices are only issued as a last resort to encourage improved attendance, and only after other options have been exhausted. Should a fixed penalty notice fail to secure improved attendance, the council will consider bringing a prosecution to court. This only occurs in a very small number of cases each year. The purpose of issuing penalty notices and / or prosecutions is ultimately to benefit the child by ensuring their attendance at school improves. The council employs Access and Inclusion Officers who work closely with schools in Cumbria, families and other agencies to address attendance concerns and to promote the benefits of regular school attendance."