Published: June 22, 2009
Operation to reduce Burnham-On-Sea truancy rates gets underway

Truancy sweeps and targeted home calling to pupils not attending schools in the Burnham-On-Sea area were conducted on Monday (June 22nd) as part of an initiative to increase attendance.

Burnham-On-Sea police teamed up with local education attendance officers to carry out the sweeps.

PC Tracey Stiles, Burnham Police's Youth Strategy Officer, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "By doing the sweeps, we are assisting local schools in their overall attendance levels and protecting young people from becoming victims of crime or committing crime and anti-social behaviour."

"The operation has seen officers from both organisations attending the home addresses of truants and successfully returning them to school."

"This was a great opportunity to work in partnership with the Local Service Team from Rooksbridge and schools within the North Sedgemoor Area."

Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here earlier this year how truants would be targeted in the Burnham area in the first half of the year.

Pictured above are some of the education attendance officers and police officers who took part in Monday's operation in Burnham