A mother has been found guilty of failing to ensure her daughter attended school after she didn’t turn up to court.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not ensure her child, a student at Sir John Lawes in Harpenden, was present at school regularly.

She was found guilty after failing to appear St Albans Magistrates’ Court on May 6 for the case, which carried on without her.

She claimed her absence was due to sickness but despite her non appearance, she was ordered to pay costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £66.

The county council took the case to court and Sir John Lawes, an academy, carried out its own investigation.

Head, Claire Robins, told the Herts Advertiser that the school did not comment on individual cases of that type.

She added: “However I can assure you that as a school we place a high priority on excellent attendance and will continue to work with all families to ensure that their children do not miss out on their education.”