The truant teenager apologised and asked for his mother to be released

She had served just 12 days of a 28-day sentence, and had been expected home on Monday but was released by the prison authorities at the weekend.

Her 14-year-old-year old son and his father are due to meet education officials on Monday.

The teenager had not attended his comprehensive in Llanelli for three months and the woman was taken to court eight times.

The woman, who cannot be named, was jailed by a magistrates' court in Llanelli.

It's totally unjustified and I think public opinion is totally on our side Jailed woman's ex-husband

She lost an appeal at Swansea Crown Court against the original sentence, despite an apology from her truant son.

On Saturday, the woman's daughter and ex-husband were contacted by the authorities and drove to collect her from a women's prison in Gloucestershire.

They said she has gone to stay with relatives to avoid any fuss and to recover from the stress of prison.

Her ex-husband said they still feel prison was a harsh sentence.

"I can't see how this has helped her one bit," he said.

"It's totally unjustified and I think public opinion is totally on our side."

The teenager and his father are to meet social services' staff

He also said the episode had made his son determined to attend school regularly.

"He's realises what he has done, I don't think he will play truant any more.

"It has brought it home to him - he's had a shock."

There have been around 20 prosecutions across Carmarthenshire for truancy so far this year.

Under laws introduced in 2000, penalties for persistent truancy were increased to a maximum fine of �2,500 or a jail term of three months.

Several parents had been jailed in England, before the Carmarthenshire woman became the first parent to be imprisoned under the new legislation in Wales.