JAIL them.

This was the call from education councils in Britain who want parents who cheat to get their child into a good schools to be prosecuted.

A study revealed that two-fifths of these councils say more parents are using underhanded tactics to get their children into oversubscribed schools.

The 123 (out of 152) local authorities that responded to the survey reported 1,100 cases of deception, but this was thought to be the tip of the iceberg, according to a report in the Times of London.

Most authorities estimated that there were at least twice as many cases again, and one council thought that there were at least 100 cases for every one that had so far been discovered.

The study, done by Dr Ian Craig, the Schools? Adjudicator, said the councils who participated reported that parents acted with impunity because there was no real punishment if caught.

The child normally stayed at the school because school heads were reluctant to disrupt his or her education.

The report said such 'deceitful' behaviour by parents has become more commonplace because 'many parents do not consider the consequences of their actions for others any longer, and friends and neighbours, as well as family members, collude with one another to play the system'.

Nothing to lose

Many parents felt that they had nothing to lose by lying, the study said.

'There is a view that there are probably many more parents 'getting away with it' than are caught and (this) makes it a risk worth taking.'

The report, published on Monday, said of the councils favouring prosecution: 'Almost all suggested that it should be available as a sanction, either for fraud, perjury or as a specific criminal offence.

'Most respondents considered that this was the only way in which the parents, rather than the child, could be punished. Many respondents considered that the possibility of a custodial sentence and/or a substantial fine was needed as a deterrent.'

The sanction that Dr Craig himself proposed was that parents who had used fraudulent means to get their child into a good school should be denied the normal guarantee that any other child of theirs would join their sibling at the school.

Dr Craig said: 'Parents need to be persuaded that to take a place by deception is to deprive another child. It?s the theft of a school place that belongs rightfully to another.'

Recently, Mrinal Patel was prosecuted under the Fraud Act, after allegedly applying for a school place for her son using her mother's address. The case was dropped because of doubt that the legislation was suitable.

Now, Britain's Schools Secretary, Mr Ed Balls, has asked the adjudicator to compile a report setting out the possible sanctions, and criminal prosecution is likely to be included.

Next: Underhanded tactics used by parents