Sussex councils have confirmed their participation in a new scheme that fines parents up to £120 if their child persistently arrives late to school.

The new rules will be introduced from September at thousands of schools across the country and will see £60 fines doubled to £120 if parents do not pay up within 21 days.

Headteachers have been able to fine parents of regular latecomers under laws introduced by Labour in 2003.

Now, following fresh guidance, thousands of schools are targeting children who regularly miss registration.

Brighton and Hove City Council said parents will be fined if children arrive to class after registration has closed on ten occasions in any ten-week period.

Both East and West Sussex county councils also confirmed fines could be issued if a child arrived at school after the register closed as the incident would be recorded as an ‘unauthorised absence.’ Schools can exercise discretion and doctor or dentist appointments would count as an exceptional circumstance.

Department for Education guidelines allow a half-hour window for morning and afternoon registration before lateness is recorded.

Hove mother Jenny McDade, who featured in The Argus in December after being fined £250 by Brighton and Hove City Council for taking her children to Ibiza during term time, said new fines for lateness were “just another money maker”.

The 38-year-old, of Moyne Close, Hove, said: “It’s completely unfair.

“It’s bad enough when parents like us get fined for holidays in school time, yet perfectly OK for teachers to strike when they like.

“Sometimes personal circumstances cause delays in getting out the door to be in time for school.

“Sometimes people oversleep, making them late. What would these new school fines actually prove?

“Where would all the money go? Where does the money for term time holiday fines go? It’s another scam for schools and councils to make money by hitting low income households.”

A spokesman from East Sussex County Council said: “It’s down to individual schools whether they choose this option and it is very rare that schools choose to instigate fines for lateness.

“Where this does happen it is usually part of a wider issue, for example where a child has a very low rate of attendance.”