Schoolchildren were today warned not to play truant to protest at President Bush's visit to Britain.
The warning came as Essex officials announced that a truancy sweep yesterday netted 26 children bunking off in just two hours.
The campaign by Essex Police and educational welfare officers from Essex County Council saw officers stopping pupils across Colchester seen out of school during lesson times.
Colchester police youth liaison officer Simon Knightley said although some had genuine excuses, many did not.
He said: "We covered the whole of the borough, with two patrols out on foot in the town centre area and a vehicle out looking at hotspots.
"Some of the parents were resigned to the fact that we were doing it for the right reasons."
Young people's minister Ivan Lewis said if anyone missed school to attend any of the events organised by opponents of the war against Iraq, that was truancy pure and simple.
Published Wednesday November 19, 2003
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