A teenage girl failed to go to school for six months, a court heard.

The girl's parents, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of their child, admitted failing to ensure their daughter regularly went to school between January and June when they appeared before Brighton magistrates.

The couple, who live in Brighton, were prosecuted by the city council. They were both fined £100 and ordered to pay £65 costs.

The mother said her daughter had been bullied and blamed the school for failing to sort out the problem. The father said: "You cannot frogmarch a 15-year-old up the road to school. She is bigger than her mum."