London: A mother has declared that she will risk a prison sentence for letting her son miss three days of school to attend her wedding.

Clare Whitelegg is furious that her nine-year-old son’s primary school refused her request for him to take time off lessons to watch her marry her police officer fiance Andy McLeary.

The school argued that the wedding did not warrant time off because it could not be classed as “exceptional circumstances”.

But Whitelegg, 30, who works for the police as a call handler, has pulled her son, Riley Bryant, out of lessons regardless. She and McLeary, 37, who live in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, were due to marry in her hometown of Newquay, Cornwall on Tuesday.

She insists she will refuse to pay any penalty notices imposed on her by Clive Church of England School in Shrewsbury and is also prepared to face prosecution.

Sanctions that can be imposed on the parents of truanting children include a three-month jail sentence or a fine of £2,500 (Dh15,602).

The row follows a crackdown on term-time absence which removed heads’ discretion to grant up to ten days’ holiday a year.

Education Secretary Michael Gove tightened the rules from last September to prevent unnecessary disruption to children’s education. He ordered heads to stop granting permission for term-time holidays unless families could show “exceptional circumstances” such as a family bereavement.

But Whitelegg, who had Riley in a previous relationship, said: “It’s absolutely bonkers that the school have banned my son from attending my wedding.

“If I had gone along with the school’s ruling then there would be no wedding because I can’t leave a nine-year-old home alone for three days. Andy and I both work full-time and this is the only time we could get off work.

“Riley is an excellent pupil. The school isn’t even holding normal lessons this week anyway because it’s sports week.”

Schools and local councils can issue £120 spot fines if pupils are absent during term-time, although they are £60 if paid within 28 days. Parents who fail to pay the penalty notices face prosecution by the council.

Miss Whitelegg, who like her fiance works for West Mercia Police, added: “I am fully prepared to go to court and I will refuse to pay any fine. If it means going to prison then so be it.”

Mary Lucas, head teacher at Clive school, said: “The school will only authorise leave in exceptional circumstances.

“On June 16, 2014 we received an application for a pupil leave of absence from June 23 to 25. I would have been happy to talk to the parents about this request if they had come to see me.”