EDUCATION welfare officers were "astounded" at the high number of children seen out with their parents in Kidderminster town centre during a pre-Christmas truancy sweep.

And they have vowed to let schools know about all 46 youngsters who should have been in lessons after slamming the "lame" excuses offered by parents.

Kidderminster police officers joined forces with Worcestershire County Council for the sweep on Friday, sponsored by the Government and timed to catch people at a time of year when condoned truancy is notoriously rife.

Senior education welfare officer Tom Hunter said: "Statistics show that this is the week when parents tend to take their kids Christmas shopping.

"To be honest I've never seen anything like it. Some of the excuses were so lame; one particular parent had come all the way from Droitwich with her daughter who was off school with a bad ankle - but they had earlier been horse riding!

"Another boy in the Rowland Hill Centre with his 18-year-old brother said he had come down to see if he could get a dentist appointment but was on his way to get his ear pierced."

Mr Hunter said these were typical of the excuses being offered and added the majority of parents confronted between 10am and 12.30pm were embarrassed.

"We're going to follow them all up and let the schools know. There's no reason if kids are ill why they should be out shopping.

"I was absolutely astounded by the feeble excuses."

Such sweeps are relatively new to the county, a handful having been carried out previously in Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley.

Similar sweeps were mounted across the county on Friday, one in Redditch netting 80 youngsters - but it lasted five hours and used more manpower.

"If I could have doubled the staff we had out I think we could have doubled the number of kids we caught," Mr Hunter added.

Further sweeps are due in the New Year.