Labour and Conservative politicians have united in backing the jailing of a single parent who allowed her children to play truant.

In a rare show of Westminster unanimity, education secretary Estelle Morris and her shadow Damian Green have supported a prison sentence for an Oxfordshire single mother convicted under tough parenting laws.

"If this is a sign that [the courts] are taking this sort of behaviour by parents very seriously, that is to be welcomed," said Morris.

"For too long we've been too nervous about talking about parental responsibility. We ask our teachers to do so much. But parents have got to play their part."

Patricia Amos was given a 60 day prison term - to be served alongside hard core criminals in north London's tough Holloway jail - for failing to ensure that her daughters, aged 13 and 15, attended their Banbury school.

A move that has criticised as "very harsh" by the girls' headteacher and the National Union of Teachers but welcomed by the Tories.

"The message should go out that allowing your children to truant is depriving them of their best chance in life. It is unacceptable for parents to behave like this," said the shadow education secretary.

"We much hope that this case serves as a shocking warning to the families of other persistent truants."

The message from Westminster was challenged by some teachers and the Amos family.

A National Union of Teachers spokeswoman said: "Is it really the answer to deprive these girls of their mother? It's not a solution."

And the older daughter of the jailed mother questioned the justice of jailing parents for the actions of their children.

"There must be another way of teaching kids a lesson without locking their mother up. My mum has done nothing wrong. She is being punished for something that my sisters have done and not her," Kerry Cowman said.

"There are burglars and muggers and people who have done worse walking the streets."