Parents of a 14-year-old boy who had to be held down in the car to get him to school have been sentenced for failing to ensure that he attends classes.

At Oxford Magistrates Court yesterday (May 17) the couple admitted allowing their son to attend only 37 per cent of his lessons between August 30 and October 12 last year.

The court heard that the boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was so reluctant to go to his Oxfordshire school that his father enlisted a friend to help hold him down while he drove him to school.

Sometimes he would then get out of the car and run off.

On one occasion a teacher went to his house in their own car to get the teenager to go to school.

Warwick Clarke, defending, said that during the time in question the boy was living with his father who was estranged from his mother.

He said: "He is a single father with severe back problems dealing with a growing boy who sometimes just won't co-operate.

"He is doing his best as a parent."

He said although the parents were separated the mother had never lost touch with her son and she had looked after him for some time.

He added the couple were now living together again with their two children in a situation that should provide more stability.

Katrina Hyde, prosecuting, said: "He is interested in fishing and golf and his father helps him with these pursuits.

"We would request that the same assiduousness is applied to his school work."

Since the start of the year he has been attending school from 10am-1.30pm for 100 for per cent of the time some weeks.

But he has not been keen on staying for normal afternoon classes.

The court heard that the boy's parents took him out of school on an unauthorised holiday as a reward for when he was attending school more regularly.

Both parents were given conditional discharges for 12 months and fined £30 each.

There have been 33 prosecutions and supervision orders placed on Oxfordshire families since September last year, compared to 28 during 2003-2004.

Barry Armstrong, education officer for attendance and reintegration at Oxfordshire County Council, said the increase was down to new Government procedures to tackle the problem rather than a rise in truancy.

He said it was too early to say whether new powers available to headteachers and local authorities to fine the parents of truants under the Antisocial Behaviour Act would reduce the number of cases going through the courts.

He said: " It's quite possible that fixed penalty fines will be considered as a first option and court will be the second stage of the process.

"There are a range of sentences available through the courts.

"A conditional discharge is useful for getting parents and children to cooperate and we generally find significant increases in attendance as a result."