TEN children, including some of primary school age, were stopped by police during a crackdown on truancy in Accrington.
As previously reported in the Observer, officers launched a crackdown on kids playing truant in the Woodnook area of the town last week.
And they were shocked when they found two children bunking off lessons from primary schools. The other eight truants were aged between 11 and 16.
The swoop took place following a number of complaints by residents about anti-social behaviour including graffiti and vandalism in the area.
Hailing the operation as a success, PC Clare Wall, community beat manager for Woodnook, said: "It was excellent and we picked up a lot of truants. There were 10 children in the two days we did the operation, which for an area as small as Woodnook is a large amount.
"Officers from Lancashire County Council's Education and Welfare Department interviewed each child and their parents will be contacted."
PC Wall said it was the first truancy operation organised by the police as they are usually organised by the education department. It was also the first one to target a small area rather than Accrington town centre.
She added: "This was the first one run in an area where truants are known to be running around and, with us picking up 10 children it showed it was the right thing to do.
"All the children were taken back to school promptly.
"Some were not in their uniforms but, whether in their uniform or not, they were taken to school."
The operation involved PC Clare Wall, Police and Community Support Officer Suzanne Taylor and school liaison officer Gail Lyon.
