Gareth Hatton patrols Wrexham looking for truants

Last week 82 youngsters were caught playing truant by social worker Gareth Hatton and North Wales Police.

In comparison, one week later and four were spotted eating lunch in Wrexham.

However, a quick check discovered that they were on a legitimate break from choir practice.

Quiet day

The 82 pupils caught last week was a high number, Mr Hatton admitted. That was because it was national truancy week and their van was out for five days rather than its average two.

North Wales Police loan their van to the education authority on a weekly basis so a team of social workers can join their officers looking for pupils who should be in school.

If they're..wandering round town it's a safety issue and the parents are quite happy for us to pull them up and take them back Gareth Hatton, social worker

"We do two days a week, no certain time and we go around and use CCTV to monitor the town and the surrounding areas," said Mr Hatton, an education social worker based at Rhosnesni High School in the town.

"We go in pairs. Under the Crime and Disorder Act we have to get authority to do truancy patrols, it's a designated power given to police.

"Normally CCTV will spot a group of three say wandering around town in uniform and they should be in school."

Despite driving around Wrexham town centre and surrounding areas no children were spotted.

The truancy patrol van is well signed

We even drove around local housing estates in nearby Acton and Borras Park but it was all quiet.

"If it's bouncing down with rain you won't get any," said Gareth, who admitted he preferred it when no children were caught breaking the rules.

Then, a few minutes later we got a call from the CCTV operators to say four school-uniformed children had been spotted in the town centre.

However, despite hastily making our way, we discovered the children were legitimately allowed out of rehearsals for their Christmas carol concert.

Truancy patrol has been carried out in Wrexham for the past 10 years.

Mr Hatton said when they spot people who should be in school they go and introduce themselves before filling in a form for their databases and taking them back to school or their parents.

"Most parents are quite appreciative of what we're trying to do," he said.

"If children leave in the morning to go to school the parents think they're there, if they're not in school and wandering round town it's a safety issue and the parents are quite happy for us to pull them up and take them back."

Wrexham is regularly held up as an example of good practice in dealing with truancy and many authorities an assembly officials have visited the town to see how the system works.