Knowsley

Starmer said he and his family had been watching the serial after Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley raised the issue at Prime Ministers Questions earlier.

Jack Rice has been a youth worker for three years, providing support for young people in Knowsley who have dropped out of school or college.

More than 135 libraries lit up in support, including the British Library in London, 10 libraries in Lancashire, others in Wirral, Cheshire, Knowsley, Manchester and Oldham.

In Knowsley, more than a quarter of pupils were classed as persistently absent - meaning they missed 10% of the school calendar, or more.

Blackpool, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Bristol, Torbay and Plymouth followed Knowsley with the next highest rates of persistent absence - with between 23% and 25% of pupils missing significant periods of school.