Schools across Medway are clamping down on parents who take their children on holiday during term time.

Figures released by Medway Council reveal a five-fold increase in the number of penalty notices issued to parents in the past three years because of children taking unauthorised leave.

Nineteen penalty notices were issued between 2006 and 2007 but 97 were issued from 2007 to 2008. The increase has been largely put down to head teachers taking a stricter approach on pupils missing lessons for family vacations.

Those issued with a penalty notice face a £100 fine, reduced to £50 if paid within 28 days.

The number of prosecutions and parenting orders has also risen due to persistent pupil absence. From 2006-2007, 156 parents were prosecuted and three parenting orders were issued. Those figures rose in 2007/2008 to 158 prosecutions and five parenting orders.

Overall absence for schools in Medway for 2006/2007 stood at 5.9 per cent but in 2007/2008 that figure fell to 5.7 per cent.