The mother who was too tired to take her daughter to school

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Single mother Chantelle Kay also ignored a letter from the school, missed a string of meetings with social workers and failed to pay a £50 fixed penalty notice for not ensuring her daughter went to school.

Sh ehas now been ordered to pay £60 costs and given a one-year community order at Teesside Magistrates Court.

The court heard that the little girl attended only 107 half-day sessions out of a possible 180 at her primary school between January 22 and June 25 this year.

It was the equivalent of missing 36 full days.

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Daughter Lauren has missed dozens of school lessons because her mum, Chantelle, cannot get out of bed in the mornings

Neil Wilson, prosecuting for Middlesbrough Council, said: "The only excuse that could be given was the defendant personally found it difficult to get out of bed in the morning."

Kay, from Middlesbrough, had admitted failing to secure her daughter's attendance at school at an earlier hearing.

After the hearing she denied she was bone idle and insisted she took her daughter's schooling "very seriously".

She said: "I care a hell of a lot about her education. I do a lot at home.

"I understand why they've done what they've done but anybody who knows me will tell you I do try but I just can't wake up.

"The judge said buy an alarm clock. I have got a massive alarm clock, but sometimes I just sleep through it."

Imposing the community punishment sentence, magistrate Ken Smith told Kay, who also has a daughter of three: "There will be some very early morning orders, I suspect."

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said they were now considering ringing Kay every morning in a bid to ensure she was awake in time.

He said: "The object is not to get the parent to court but to get the children to school."