Almost half of truants were with adults

Police officers and education officials are targeting town centres.

The clamp-down will last three weeks.

Young people's minister Ivan Lewis said children had a right to demonstrate their views - but not when they should be at school.

'Not in school time'

"The message is that it is absolutely legitimate that young people feel able to demonstrate their views, whatever those views may be," he said.

"But it is not appropriate for them to be out of school when they should be in school."

This is the fourth national sweep.

During the last one, in May, police caught 5,182 truants, 2,194 of whom were with an adult.

Mr Lewis said: "The message could not be clearer - school attendance matters.

"Truancy is a passport to a life blighted by wasted opportunities, unemployment and even crime.

"At a time when nearly half of all children are achieving five good GCSEs, only 8% of persistent truants achieve this standard."

Earlier this year, thousands of children walked out of school to stage demonstrations against the war in Iraq.