A couple who took their two sons out of school for an expensive foreign holiday have landed up in court.
But their penalty was less than had they paid the £240 school fine for taking their sons aged six and eight out of their primary school in Exmouth, Devon.
Exeter magistrates heard the parents, from Exmouth, admitted failing to have their sons attend regularly after saying they would miss a week of their schooling.
The 38 year old mother said they had written to the school to say they were taking their sons on a £7,000 foreign holiday in January and did not want to 'let the kids down'.
She said so many other parents call in saying their children are sick but she told the court:"I did the right thing, and I have been penalised for it."
She said she was a day late paying the school's £240 fine which led to her being taken to court by Devon County Council's Education department.
The JPs said the parents had booked their holiday before the new Gove ruling came in and they gave both parents a 12 month conditional discharge but ordered them to pay £100 costs.
