Almost half the children stopped during truancy sweeps in Sussex had no valid excuse for being absent, it emerged today.

Out of 40 youngsters from East Sussex, caught outside lessons without a reason, 21 were girls while 26 were of secondary school age.

In West Sussex, out of 49 children stopped, 15 were absent without authorisation and most were boys of secondary school age.

No truancy sweeps were carried out in Brighton and Hove during the same period last December, according to the Government.

The figures for December were released by the Department for Education as ministers underlined the need for a further cut in figures.

Of the 2,185 children skipping lessons in the South-East, 662 had no valid excuse and 313 were with an adult.

Truancy sweeps, involving education welfare officers and police, have this month been carried out in Hastings, St Leonards and Bexhill.

Of the 69 stopped in Hastings and St Leonards during February, 14 were out with their parents claiming they were unwell.

The figures coincide with a Mori poll showing that up to 40 per cent of parents, who had taken their children out of school for holidays, did not think it impacted on their children's learning.

Ministers said there was a strong link between persistent truants and what a child achieved in later life. They called on parents not to book holidays during term time.

Just eight per cent of truants gained five A* to C GCSE grades while about a third achieved no passes.

Research by the Youth Justice Board showed that two thirds of truants admitted to having committed crime in the past 12 months, many while truanting.

Education bosses at East Sussex County Council said children without a valid reason are returned to school under the Crime and Disorder Act.

Throughout the school year, teams of education welfare and police officers patrol areas near schools and shops in Sussex.