By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 07:19 EST, 22 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:39 EST, 22 March 2012 . A mother today claimed she was treated 'like a criminal' by police during a truancy crackdown after taking her children out of school for eye test. Laura Young, 38, said she felt 'disgusted and embarrassed' after being quizzed by officers for ten minutes in front of shoppers in Tesco despite getting permission from her daughters' schools. She had been accompanying her children - Leah Harris, 12, and Kristeena, nine - on their way to the opticians when she stopped and forced to account for her actions. 'Disgusted': Laura Young, pictured with her daughters Leah Harris (centre) and Kristeena Harris, has spoken of her anger after being stopped by truancy police while taking her children out of school for a eye test . Single mum Laura claims the episode made her feel like she had committed a crime - when she was only concerned about her children’s sight. She said: 'It was absolutely disgusting - the whole thing was very embarrassing and extremely upsetting. 'I was spoken to like I was a criminal in the middle of Tesco. I must have looked like a common criminal to any other customers and I certainly felt like one. 'My daughters had a legitimate reason to be off school and I don’t feel I should have to justify myself to anyone. 'I had told the schools why I had taken my daughters from school and they were fine with it. My children were quite confused about the whole situation too.' 'Embarrassing': Laura Young claims she was questioned by officers in full view of shoppers at her local Tesco (not one above) Full-time mum Laura, from Barnstaple, Devon, phoned Leah’s secondary school and Kristeena’s primary school to tell them about the eye test on Monday. She took them to the town’s Tesco to buy them lunch at 11am before their eye examination - but they were stopped in their tracks by Devon and Cornwall Police during a truancy crackdown inside the store. Laura said: 'Leah’s maths teacher had phoned me because he was worried about her eyesight and Kristeena also needed a test. 'I decided to book them in for the first available eye test, which was on a week day, as I was anxious to get them checked. 'I phoned the schools to explain that I would have to take them out for the whole day - as it would have been difficult to walk and pick them up from two schools miles apart. 'But when we went to Tesco to get something, two officers were stood inside the store and took all my details. They spoke to me for about ten minutes. 'They wanted to know why my children were not in school, their date of births and what schools they went too. 'I was angry as I felt I was being targeted and I had done nothing wrong. I do not know why they would approach children who were already with a parent.' Devon and Cornwall Police said its officers and an education welfare officer had taken part in a truancy sweep across Barnstaple. It said 64 children had been asked why they were not in school and one was returned to class, during the day. A spokesman for the force claimed he could not comment on the incident, but said he was confident any officer would have spoken to the parent with 'consideration and respect'. A Tesco spokeswoman said: 'This was not a pre-arranged event - the police happened to be in the store when they decided to speak to the customer. 'That is obviously a matter for them to comment on. We are sorry that the customer was upset by this incident.'
Laura Young had permission from daughters' schools .
But was quizzed in front of shoppers in Tesco during truancy crackdown .
'I don’t feel I should have to justify myself to anyone'
By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 07:19 EST, 22 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:39 EST, 22 March 2012 . A mother today claimed she was treated 'like a criminal' by police during a truancy crackdown after taking her children out of school for eye test. Laura Young, 38, said she felt 'disgusted and embarrassed' after being quizzed by officers for ten minutes in front of shoppers in Tesco despite getting permission from her daughters' schools. She had been accompanying her children - Leah Harris, 12, and Kristeena, nine - on their way to the opticians when she stopped and forced to account for her actions. 'Disgusted': Laura Young, pictured with her daughters Leah Harris (centre) and Kristeena Harris, has spoken of her anger after being stopped by truancy police while taking her children out of school for a eye test . Single mum Laura claims the episode made her feel like she had committed a crime - when she was only concerned about her children’s sight. She said: 'It was absolutely disgusting - the whole thing was very embarrassing and extremely upsetting. 'I was spoken to like I was a criminal in the middle of Tesco. I must have looked like a common criminal to any other customers and I certainly felt like one. 'My daughters had a legitimate reason to be off school and I don’t feel I should have to justify myself to anyone. 'I had told the schools why I had taken my daughters from school and they were fine with it. My children were quite confused about the whole situation too.' 'Embarrassing': Laura Young claims she was questioned by officers in full view of shoppers at her local Tesco (not one above) Full-time mum Laura, from Barnstaple, Devon, phoned Leah’s secondary school and Kristeena’s primary school to tell them about the eye test on Monday. She took them to the town’s Tesco to buy them lunch at 11am before their eye examination - but they were stopped in their tracks by Devon and Cornwall Police during a truancy crackdown inside the store. Laura said: 'Leah’s maths teacher had phoned me because he was worried about her eyesight and Kristeena also needed a test. 'I decided to book them in for the first available eye test, which was on a week day, as I was anxious to get them checked. 'I phoned the schools to explain that I would have to take them out for the whole day - as it would have been difficult to walk and pick them up from two schools miles apart. 'But when we went to Tesco to get something, two officers were stood inside the store and took all my details. They spoke to me for about ten minutes. 'They wanted to know why my children were not in school, their date of births and what schools they went too. 'I was angry as I felt I was being targeted and I had done nothing wrong. I do not know why they would approach children who were already with a parent.' Devon and Cornwall Police said its officers and an education welfare officer had taken part in a truancy sweep across Barnstaple. It said 64 children had been asked why they were not in school and one was returned to class, during the day. A spokesman for the force claimed he could not comment on the incident, but said he was confident any officer would have spoken to the parent with 'consideration and respect'. A Tesco spokeswoman said: 'This was not a pre-arranged event - the police happened to be in the store when they decided to speak to the customer. 'That is obviously a matter for them to comment on. We are sorry that the customer was upset by this incident.'
by officers for ten minutes in front of shoppers in Tesco despite getting permission from her reason to be off school and I don’t feel I should have to justify myself to anyone. 'I had told the 'Embarrassing': Laura Young claims she was Cornwall Police during a truancy crackdown inside