HUNDREDS of Worcestershire parents have been fined for taking their children on holiday during term time - with headteachers and council chiefs taking a hard line despite a high-profile High Court ruling overturning a similar sanction elsewhere.

New figures obtained by the Worcester News reveal how 791 people were issued £60 fines for 'unauthorised absences' during the 2014/15 academic year - a 76 per cent increase on the 448 people fined during 2013/14, the first year the current rules were introduced.

The latest figures have led to renewed calls from schools for parents to toe the line, whilst those on the receiving end of fines have hit out at the growing numbers being issued.

Dines Green couple Nikki and Gary Toulson, who were fined £240 at Dines Green Primary School in 2014 for taking their three children to Lanzarote during term time, have slammed the fines and say family time should be "precious".

Mrs Toulson said: "We paid our fines but it feels like we're being dictated to, we were pretty annoyed by it.

"Family time is precious and all my children suffer from asthma, so a holiday away in the warm weather was supposed to help them.

"We're home schooling now, there was an accumulation of reasons but that was one reason for it."

Headteachers in Worcester say there are a multitude of factors for the number of fines rising.

Neil Morris, from Christopher Whitehead Language College in St John's, said: "There are only 190 school days during the year and the current exams are the hardest we've ever seen.

"What we need is parents to buy into the journey their children are on, because the more you learn, the more you'll earn.

"But I do think travel companies get away with murder, they hike up the prices and take advantage."

Sean Devlin, headteacher at Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College in Battenhall said: "I think it's sad you have to create a law to make parents aware of the importance of education.

"But let's put it into proportion, for us last year three per cent of our school population had 'unauthorised absences', that's around 30 parents.

"But 12 per cent had 100 per cent attendance. I do think a deterrent has to be there, and then many parents don't do it because they don't want to be seen breaking the law.

"With the new GCSEs, if you miss one week of school that's a significant amount of lost learning."

Bosses at County Hall have defended the fines system, introduced by the Department of Education in 2013.

That ruling said headteachers could only authorise absences during term time in “exceptional circumstances” such as funerals.

Previously, headteachers had discretion in granting up to two weeks of absence for pupils with good attendance records.

The £60 fines rise to £120 if they are not paid within 21 days, and apply on a 'per parent, per child' basis.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, cabinet member for children and families at Worcestershire County Council, said: "The increase in penalty notices is due to new legislation introduced in 2013, and the number of fines issued has remained comparative with other authorities."

In May a High Court ruling went in favour of Jon Platt, who took his daughter out of school on the Isle of Wight for a family holiday during term time that the girl’s school had refused to authorise.