Truancy Watch organisers say they have caught "scores" of children

Truancy Watch, a partnership between Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police, based officers at St John's Shopping Centre during the operation.

The council's chief attendance officer, Lesley Sheriff, said they had stopped "scores" of children, including several who were out with their parents.

Children caught were either returned to school or taken home.

Liverpool City Council's executive member for education, Paul Clein, said: "Attendance levels are improving in Liverpool, against the national trend, but we still have too many youngsters absent from school without permission."

The Truancy Watch initiative was set up by Liverpool City Council's education service in 2002 as one of the first dedicated truancy sweep teams across the country.

During the 2003/4 academic year, more than 1,600 children were stopped during truancy sweeps across Liverpool.