Brent Council is to clamp down on truancy in the borough again with the Government's initiative to reduce street crime.

School truants face being picked up by the police and returned to the classroom to explain their absence. Those unable to explain their absence will then be taken to council offices and interviewed.

The council's Education Welfare Service and the police will team up for a sweep of the borough using powers in the Crime and Disorder Act and will patrol pre-arranged areas, radioing in details of suspected truants to education welfare officers.

Pupils will then be escorted back to school or collected by their parents depending on whether or not they have been excluded.

The new move comes despite the borough's excellent attendance figures in secondary schools which are now ranked the third best throughout the capital at 92.20 per cent.

Out of the 32 London borough's, Brent has the sixth best attendance figures for primary schools.

Brent Education Welfare Service and the police carry out a truancy sweep every term. The last sweep in April resulted in 14 pupils being picked up, four of who were truants.

With more than 80 LEAS's taking part in the initiative, the council has agreed to co-ordinate its sweep with neighbouring boroughs including Ealing and Hammersmith.