text: A mother who appeared in the BBC's controversial documentary 'People Like Us' is facing jail after she refused to pay a fine for taking her teenage daughter out of school to go on holiday. Karen Wakefield and her husband Paul Dawson were one of a number of families who featured on the six-part BBC documentary, which aimed to show what life was like in Harpurhey in Manchester. It was criticised by those who starred in it as intentionally painting them in a negative light. Mrs Wakefield, who runs Wishy Washy launderette in the town, is due to appear in court after she refused to pay fines for taking her 13-year-old daughter out of school for six days to go on holiday to Turkey. Karen Wakefield and her partner Paul (centre) could face three months in jail for refusing to pay fines for taking her 13-year-old daughter  (right) out of school during term time to go on holiday to Turkey . She has refused to pay two initial £60 fines and subsequent £120 fines, and claims she and her husband have been told they could be jailed for three months or given fines of £1,000 each. The mother-of-two said she 'doesn't like being told by teachers when she can go on holiday' and said she is determined to fight the case all the way. Mrs Wakefield said her daughter's school, the Manchester Communication Academy, refused to give her permission to take her daughter abroad during term last year. The trip, at the end of the six-weeks' holiday, meant the pupil missed six days of lessons at the start of the new school year. She said her child deserved the trip because of alleged bullying at the school. Mrs Wakefield said she doesn't like the school telling her what to do, and took her daughter out of Manchester Communication Academy during term time to go on holiday . Mrs Wakefield claims her daughter  needed a holiday after she was bullied at school . The owner of Wishy Washy was seen showing viewers CCTV from  the launderette of some of her customers . Mrs Wakefield, who has another daughter Amber, 21, added: 'We told the truth and told the school we were going on holiday. We didn't lie and say she was ill or anything. 'But they said we didn't have permission. She deserved to go on holiday - she's been bullied at the school. She's had a hard time of it. 'We refused to pay the fines - it's ridiculous. We don't like being told when you can go on holiday by teachers. The six-part BBC Three documentary was watched by 1million people. Producers said the fly-on-the-wall documentary aimed to show what life was like in Manchester. But locals who featured in the show claimed the show was 'faked' to make them appear drunken, fat and lazy. More than 300 people attended a public meeting to call for the series to be axed, claiming rather than showing how Harpurhey had developed - it illustrated it as a deprived area. They said the show made them look like 'Jeremy Kyle Show-type chavs' - a talk show which frequently features swearing and fighting. Locals claimed they were tricked into taking part and encouraged to drink alcohol and fight on camera by the film crew. This was flatly denied by production company Dragonfly. 'What about when they're on strike or there's a training day? It's no different to her missing a few days on holiday. 'It would be different if her grades were low but she is very clever and doing better than expected despite being bullied.' A spokeswoman for the school said Manchester City Council is pursuing legal action on its behalf. A council spokesman said: 'Local authorities have a statutory obligation to take action on non- attendance in schools, and although schools work very closely with pupils and parents to ensure pupils are in school every day they should be, legal action is sometimes necessary to enforce this.' Mrs Wakefield shot to fame when she appeared on the BBC3 show, which attracted audiences of 1million. After it aired the 'fly on the wall documentary' was criticised as making locals featured in it look like 'Jeremy Kyle Show-type chavs.'  This was denied by programme makers who said they had adhered to all BBC guidelines.
target: Karen Wakefield and family appeared in BBC People Like Us documentary .
  Mother-of-two was fined for taking daughter out of school to go to Turkey .
  But she refused to pay the fine and could now be jailed for three months .
  Mrs Wakefield said her and her husband could also be fined £1,000 each and she 'doesn't like being told' when she is allowed to go on holiday .