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A soldier who was home with his family for just six days during a six-month army training course was fined £240 for taking his children out of school so they could spend time with him.

Gunner Dean Peters and his wife Corina were refused leave for two of their children, despite their oldest daughter getting the go-ahead from a different school.

The 31-year-old recently joined the army and had been away for 14 weeks when he was allowed to return home for six days before leaving for a further 14 weeks.

Mum Corina, 29, was denied authorised leave for daughter Keira, eight, and son Hayden, seven, and was fined £240 for taking them out of school.

Mrs Peters said she is 'appalled' by the fine and defended the family's actions because the few days they had together helped to relax her husband.

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(Image: Solent)

She said: "We applied for absence so we could spend time together as a family. "I think it's absolutely disgusting. My husband is serving his country and he gets fined for spending a few days with his children.

"I think it's absolutely appalling how they have gone about it. I could understand if they were away for a holiday but he was away for 14 weeks.

"I am really cross. I'm taking it further with the school. "Their attendance in general apart from the odd couple of days is good.

"Even if they are poorly we send them to school so they can send them home. They are where they should be in their learning.

"The children absolutely loved our time together, as did my husband. It was very difficult for him. "He's joined the army at quite a late age so it was difficult for him anyway to leave for that length of time.

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"He needed the break because it's quite hard. It was relaxing for him to come home and spend time with his kids as well.

"Now, he is stressed out and worried because he has had this fine and it's right before Christmas as well.

"I don't want to pay it but they are telling me if I don't pay it, it will be doubled.

"I don't see why we should have to pay the school for the children to spend a few days with their dad." Mrs Peters, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, was granted authorised leave for daughter Lexy, 11, who is a student at nearby Horndean Technology College.

But Kiera and Hayden, who both attend Woodcroft Primary School in Waterlooville, were denied permission.

John Webster, acting headteacher at Woodcroft Primary School, said the request did not meet their criteria for 'exception circumstances'.

He said: "We have every respect for parents who are in the armed services and are not unsympathetic to requests for absence during term-time when there are valid reasons to grant such requests.

"Our overriding concern and duty in all cases however, is to consider the impact of such requests on the education of pupils.

"I can assure you that their personal situation was taken into account but, ultimately, in our considered view, the request for authorised absence in this instance did not meet the criteria for exceptional circumstances.

"As a school we are guided by Department for Education policy and, in the case of children from service families, the Army Covenant, which states that exceptional circumstances apply to bereavement or serious illness.

"In the Army Covenant, there are no grounds for parents to apply for term time leave for their children to coincide with their parents' pre-tour leave or 'rest and recuperation'.

"I, and our chair of governors have met Mrs Peters and personally explained the rationale behind the decision to decline the leave request."