A MUM told magistrates her separation from her husband had created "a big upheaval" which led to her sons' failure to regularly attend school in Redditch.

The mother, who was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £25 costs at Droitwich Magistrates Court, added she had only experienced problems with the boys' schooling in the last 18 months and that she and her sons were unhappy in Redditch.

She said: "Because of the separation, there has been a big upheaval with the children and trying to move.

"I have only been in Redditch for two years and the children aren't happy there so I am going to try to get them back into their old school in Birmingham where they were happy."

The mum-of-two said she only moved to Redditch to be closer to her grandmother, who had since died.

"I am not really happy in Redditch myself and have no family there," she said.

"I know it's my responsibility that my children must be in school but they haven't been in Redditch to go to school, they've been in Birmingham."

Prosecuting, Richard Jones said the school was "very concerned" there had been no explanation about the boys' lack of attendance.

He added: "There was a message on one occasion to say the boys had moved to live with their gran in Birmingham, but it was only a short-term arrangement."