LANCASHIRE County Council's leader has admitted the authority is considering prosecuting parents who repeatedly take their children out of school in term-time to go on holiday.

Cllr Geoff Driver said they could face £1,000 court fine rather than the normal £120 fixed penalty for an unauthorised absence.

He spoke out after a Rawtenstall headteacher claimed the authority was trialling a scheme for dealing with unauthorised absences by increasing the penalty to £1,000 per parent per child.

On Monday a county council spokeswoman said: "No figure of £1,000 has been discussed or even suggested."

Yesterday Cllr Driver said there were 'repeat offender' parents, adding: "What we could do, we don't have to impose the fine of £120, is go straight to a prosecution. If somebody is taken to court for not keeping their children at school they could be fined up to £1,000. I think that's where it's come from. It's just something t hat we're looking at because there are some parents who irresponsibly, continuously take their children away from school and that's harmful to the child's education.There are some parents who do it every summer."

Labour group spokeswoman Cllr Lorraine Beavers, said:"This is scaremongering of the worst kind and once again would put the council in an illegal position."