TRUANTS have been targeted as police launched a get-tough approach on children missing school in Faversham.

The day-long Operation Cornet centred on areas such as the Bysing Wood and Love Lane estates, the town centre and the railway station, as well as further afield in Teynham, Conyer and Boughton.

Police swooped as part of National Truancy Week. Last year similar sweeps in Sittingbourne and Sheerness caught a combined total of 190 children. But in Faversham, of the 50 children stopped and questioned, only nine were found to be playing truant. Six were returned to school and three were taken home.

Sgt Terry Newman said: "I hope the initiative will help to achieve a zero tolerance on truancy, and ensure that school returns to being thought of as compulsory and not optional.

"Operation Cornet will also endeavour to reduce the amount of crime committed by truants and to use the Crime and Disorder Act to combat these problems."

Peter Walker, head of Abbey School in Faversham, said: "We've got a police community support officer who makes regular patrols. We do all sorts of things ourselves, but a fresh approach is good."

Throughout the day seven teams of uniformed police officers and education welfare officers stopped and questioned any child out of school, whether accompanied by an adult or not.

If they were absent without a reasonable excuse their details were given to Kent County Council to investigate further. If there is a history of truancy legal action could follow.

Unaccompanied children were taken to the Alexander Centre in the town or returned to school.