A MUM has vowed that her son will be at her wedding tomorrow - despite being refused permission to take him out of school to be part of her special day.

Dalton mum-of-three Kerry Severs is set to marry her partner, Kevin Barry, at a ceremony at the register office at Barrow's Nan Tait Centre.

Miss Severs submitted a request to Dowdales School last week by text, asking if her 13-year-old son, Mason O'Donnell, could miss school for the day in order to attend.

Just 48 hours before her big day she received a response - a letter from headteacher Julie O’Connor rejecting her argument of exceptional circumstances.

Miss Severs said she is "absolutely fuming".

The 40-year-old, of Ulverston Road, said: "The guidelines state the school can agree to an absence in exceptional circumstances. I can't understand why they don't think a child's mum getting married is exceptional."

The angry mum has vowed to keep Mason off school tomorrow, despite the threat of a £60 fine.

She said: "He won't be going into school, simple as that. I'm absolutely fuming.

"Two days before my wedding the school are saying he isn't allowed to go. It's his mum's wedding. All my family are coming up from Manchester for it but the school say my own son can't attend."

READ MORE: Number of parents fined after kids skip classes in Cumbria

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council, the local education authority, said: “Only the headteacher can decide if the reason given for absence is acceptable. If the headteacher decides that the reason given for absence is unacceptable, the absence will remain unauthorised.”

In 2013 the government tightened the rules which state that parents can be fined £60 for the unauthorised absence of a child.

Headteachers, who used to have discretion to agree up to 10 days holidays, must now only grant permission for a “leave of absence” in “exceptional circumstances”.

The National Association of Head Teachers published guidance to advice that an absence for the bereavement of a close family member, a funeral or important religious observances could be counted as exceptional.

The issue of taking children on holiday in term-time was back in the spotlight recently following a High Court judgement in favour of a father who took his daughter to Florida. The government could look to change the law following the ruling in May.

READ MORE: Call for 'pragmatic' approach in Cumbria to term-time breaks