OVER 30 pupils have been caught skiving and returned to school after the police launched a truancy sweep in Falmouth and Penryn.

Four police officers, three police community support officers, two educational welfare officers and a member of staff from each of the two comprehensives were involv-ed in the sweep on Tuesday.

It involved patrolling the areas where pupils playing truant were likely to be and visiting the homes of children who had not turned up for school.

Despite the dreadful weather, by lunchtime over 30 pupils had been rounded up and sent back to school, many of them caught sheltering in Asda.

John Harvey, assistant head at Penryn College, said the aim of the sweep was to send out a clear message that this type of behaviour would not be tolerated.

"It is a countywide initiative in co-operation with educational welfare officers and the police," he said.

"In reality we are sending a message about the importance of being at school, that is its primary purpose. If we see any children on the streets who should be at school we are having conversations with their parents. It is a statement of intent."

Mr Harvey went out in a patrol car with PC Andy Filkins and a educational welfare officer scouring the streets for skivers. He said many had been found at a major supermarket and others in Falmouth and Penryn.

"Because it was such a miserable day we perhaps didn't catch as many as we could," he said, "but we have also knocked on a few doors and it is amazing how many ill children suddenly turn up at school.

"We don't have a particular problem at Penryn school but we are ensuring that we send out the right message."

PC Andy Hocking, from Falmouth police station, said the sweep would be a regular event and any pupils caught out of school without permission were losing out on their education.

"We have got the power to return young people to school," he said. "Truancy is a problem with kids out of school causing anti-social behaviour and issues over not going to school and not receiving an education."