A MOTHER has been jailed for 20 days for persistently failing to send her daughter to school, despite claiming the 14-year-old barricaded herself in her room.

Linda Smith (51), of Copse Drive, Bury, had previously been fined, given a conditional discharge and parental order for two earlier offences.

But she appeared before Bury magistrates last week to be sentenced for again failing to send her 14-year-old daughter to Broad Oak High School. The youngster had a 100 per cent non-attendance record between September 21 and November 4, 2005.

Prosecuting on behalf of Bury Council, Miss Yolanda Addison told the court that Smith had already been convicted twice for failing to send her daughter to school for the periods of January 5 to May 28, 2004, and September 21, 2004, to January 28, 2005.

She said problems with the girl's attendance started in primary school, and Smith repeatedly failed to answer telephone calls, reply to letters, or open her front door when contacted by education welfare workers.

Miss Addison told magistrates Smith felt it was "wholly unfair" she was being punished for her daughter's refusal to attend school.

She said: "It may be that it is too late to help her and if she misses anymore school, she may not even get any GCSEs."

Mr Shabir Khattak, defending, said the girl often locked herself in her bedroom and refused to go to school.

He said: "It is not a question that Miss Smith does not want her daughter to do well at school or to go to school. Quite the contrary, she wants her to do her best. How many parents in this day and age can drag a 14-year-old child who doesn't want to go to school? It is very difficult to find any parents who would do this.

"Teachers have indicated that she's relatively articulate. She is a bright young girl and when she's at school, she takes part and does quite well.

"Her daughter is not going out committing offences, she is just barricading herself in her bedroom. No-one can tell her what to do."

Mr Khattak asked magistrates when considering a sentence to consider Smith's health problems, as well as the fact that she has only ever appeared in court because of her daughter's truancy.

Mother-of-three Smith had been warned she could receive a custodial sentence when she admitted the offence last month. She sobbed in the dock as she was jailed for 20 days.

Chairman of the bench, Mr Alan Rogers, told Smith: "We are not convinced in your personal determination to send her to school. In fact, we believe you have wilfully disregarded your own personal responsibility. The offence was committed knowing the likely outcome. The risk of harm is high. We feel that no other sentence is appropriate other than an immediate custodial sentence."