A FATHER is planning to walk his teenage daughters to school to ensure that they reach the classroom, York magistrates heard.

Phillip Gordon Hardwick, 36, appeared in court because his daughters, aged 13 and 15, had missed more than 270 school sessions between them over six months.

Martin Cambridge, for City of York Council, said education workers had repeatedly contacted Hardwick and set up meetings to try to get his daughters to school.

But the girls' attendance had not improved until after the father appeared in court in January. They were still missing sessions and sometimes arrived late.

Hardwick, of Ostman Road, Acomb, York, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that Kelly Hardwick, 13, and Kara Kettlewell, 15, attended Lowfield School regularly between June 10 and November 29, 2002.

Magistrates gave him a 12-month conditional discharge, and warned him that if his children do not attend school regularly over the next year, he could be punished for their 2002 truancy as well as any new truancy. He was also ordered to pay £50 court costs.

Mr Cambridge said the authority only prosecuted as a last resort. But between June and December 2002, Kara had attended school only 22 times and missed 152 school sessions while Kelly had missed 126 sessions.

Kelly had had problems at school which the teachers had tackled.

Since Hardwick appeared in court on January 16, Kara had attended 29 out of 40 school sessions, and Kelly had attended 33 out of 48.

For Hardwick, Jane Maloney said he ensured the girls left home in time to go to school, and did not know why they arrived late. Because Kara was 15, it was difficult for him to monitor her every movement.

But now he was planning to walk with his daughters to school.

"If that's what it takes to get them there on time, he will undertake to get them there," said the solicitor.

He was in a very difficult situation as he was a single father living on benefits with four children aged 13 to 19 living at home and a fifth, aged 11, who visited.

Since the January court appearance, the girls' attitude towards school had improved. They were attending and were behaving well, said the solicitor. Kara had received a very good report.

Updated: 10:40 Friday, February 28, 2003