BURY South MP and Education Minister Ivan Lewis has praised Bury's education welfare team for their work in tackling truancy.

His meeting, at their base in Market Street, Bury, follows recent success by the team in prosecuting a number of parents who failed to ensure their children attended school regularly.

Alison Chapman, of Bannerman Avenue, Prestwich was one of four parents fined in the latest round of prosecutions by Bury Council.

Mr Lewis, who has responsibility for tackling poor behaviour, truancy and bullying in all the country's schools, also praised the Bury Times for highlighting the prosecutions and hoped they would "serve as a warning to the small minority of parents who collude with their children's truancy".

He added: "I was delighted to meet face-to-face with our local education welfare team. They do an excellent job both supporting our local schools and families struggling to cope for a variety of reasons."

And education welfare officers welcomed the opportunity to talk to the Minister about their work.

Alan Cogswell, principal education welfare officer, said: "There was an honest and robust dialogue with the Minister, who listened actively to what officers had to offer. He can be assured that we will make parents accountable for the regular attendance of their children at school. "

On Wednesday Mr Lewis unveiled national measures to tackle bullying, improve behaviour and cut truancy.

A £75 million package of training will be rolled out this term to help teachers improve conditions in secondary schools, plus £5 million of specialist training in selected primary schools to help them promote positive behaviour and attendance from the earliest stage of a child's school career.

The campaign also includes a hard-hitting film, entitled Tell Someone, which will be broadcast on national television encouraging children not to suffer bullying in silence.

Said Mr Lewis: "For too long poor behaviour and truancy have undermined our education system and been allowed to erode respect for teachers. A failure to tackle these problems has led to an increase in anti social behaviour on our streets and blighted the life chances of too many children. I am determined to use my national responsibilities to launch a concerted attack on truancy and ill discipline in schools. I am also very concerned about bullying and committed to leading a national zero tolerance campaign. No child in any school should be expected to suffer the indignity and misery of bullying."