PARENTS who didn’t send their children to school have been fined – despite failing to turn up for the court hearing.

A couple from Bournemouth who have a 12-year-old boy and the Christchurch mum of an eight-year-old boy were convicted of charges at Poole Magistrates’ Court in their absence on Thursday, March 21.

The three were among ten people convicted on a single day of not ensuring their child regularly attends school.

However, they were the only defendants not to turn up for the hearing.

A further five people charged with the same offence also appeared at court on the same day, but had their cases adjourned for further hearings.

None of the defendants charged with the offence can be named.

The Bournemouth couple, who were convicted of failing to send their child to school on dates between April 16 and July 13 las year, were fined a total of £1,540 and ordered to pay prosecution costs and a victim surcharge.

The mum from Christchurch was also convicted of failing to routinely send her son to school between the same dates.

She was fined £200 and must pay a £30 surcharge and £200 costs.

A Poole mum who admitted failing to send an 11-year-old and a 16-year-old to school on dates between October 19 2018 and January 18 2019 was given an electronically-monitored curfew by magistrates instead of a fine.

The court told her she must comply with the court order for six weeks.

More than 120 parents from Bournemouth and Poole have been brought before the courts since September last year for failing to send their children to school.

The defendants were prosecuted for offences relating to the school year between September 2017 and July 2018.

In total, 55 of the cases were Bournemouth parents, while 67 were parents from Poole.

By law, all children of compulsory school age - normally four to 16 - must receive a suitable full-time education.

Parents are legally responsible for making sure they go regularly.