More fines are being issued to parents on the grounds of their children’s poor school attendance since the government banned going on holiday in term time.

These are the findings of research from the BBC, which showed that nearly 64,000 fines have been issued in total since the law was changed last September. Data from local authorities indicates that this represents a dramatic rise of 70 per cent.

Over three-quarters of councils in England responded to the survey conducted by the news provider.

BBC News says that even though some of these fines will have been for issues such as repeatedly poor attendance or truancy, which were punishable with penalties before September, the figures suggest that most fines were issued to parents who chose take their children out of school to go on holiday.

Lancashire saw the biggest increase in fines, with a 176 per cent leap in fines from 1,125 in 2012-13 to 3,106 in 2013-14.

Parents are fined £60 per parent per child per period of absence, and if the fine is not paid within 21 days that figure doubles.

Headteachers used to be able to grant up to ten days of holiday in specific circumstances, considering every request on a case by case basis. That right was removed at the start of the last school year.

But extended leave of more than ten school days can still be granted in “exceptional” circumstances, provided that heads set a number of days in advance that the child can take off.

The ban was put in place to prevent parents from taking advantage of lower holiday prices during term time, since peak periods over the summer and other school holidays tend to be much more expensive times to travel.

But critics have said that the ban punishes less affluent parents who cannot afford to take their children away in peak season, and that it could prove to be damaging to children in the long run.

"It's now becoming the case that family holidays are just for the rich because so many working people either can't afford it or can't get the time off outside school terms,” campaigner Stewart Sutherland told the BBC.

"Family holidays are just as important to children as school. A happy child will get their work done better. This shouldn't be treated the same as persistent truancy."