The parents of a child actress who starred as Matilda in the award-winning musical have warned they are prepared to go to jail in an escalating row over her home schooling.

Edward Hardy and his wife Eileen Tracy have been ordered by their local council to send their 12-year-old daughter Lilian to school by March 7 - or else face prosecution.

Mr Hardy and Ms Tracy are refusing to comply with Westminster Council’s ultimatum and have vowed to go to jail if needs be.

If convicted the couple would be liable for a fine, but they would refuse to pay it as a point of principle and are ready to go to prison to stand up for the right to home school Lilian.

Writing in the Telegraph, Ms Tracy, 50, says: “We have no intention whatsoever of complying with Westminster’s order. We are exercising our rights under the law to ask them to rescind it, and we will appeal to the Secretary of State if they refuse.

“If that fails, we would oppose the council in court – and if necessary, though it doesn’t bear thinking about, we would go to jail.”

Mr Hardy, 51, who works full-time in a primary school in London, said: “We would both be prepared to go to jail. However absurd a situation that appears to be.”