AN Ely mother has been fined £100 for failing to send her teenage daughter to school. The 44-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted the charge after her daughter attended only 26 out of 156 sessions between June and November last

AN Ely mother has been fined £100 for failing to send her teenage daughter to school.

The 44-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted the charge after her daughter attended only 26 out of 156 sessions between June and November last year - an attendance record of just 16.5 per cent.

Ely Magistrates were told on Tuesday that the 15-year-old girl was unhappy with her timetable and course subjects.

But, despite alterations being made to the timetable, she continued to stay away from school and her mother failed to attend meetings set up for her with education authority, Cambridgeshire County Council.

Mitigating, Michael Judkins, told the court that the mother-of-four was unable to read or write and feared that she would be at a disadvantage in meetings with the education professionals.

"Her daughter is certainly a child of independent mind, headstrong and very confident," he said. "A meeting has taken place with the school and a programme has been agreed upon and the daughter has now expressed a desire to return to school and make a career."

Imposing the fine, Chairman of the Magistrates, Mary Rhone, told the mother: "Your daughter should contribute towards payment of this fine. She has got one more term in education and you must do your utmost to make sure she takes part fully in this new educational programme put in place for her.