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| School-gate fast food ban urged | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Schools and councils are being urged to make it harder for children to swap their school meal for a takeaway. | Schools and councils are being urged to make it harder for children to swap their school meal for a takeaway. |
| Rising levels of obesity are being fuelled by the ready availability of fast food, said the School Food Trust. | |
| It wants schools to close their gates at lunchtime and councils to stop new fast food outlets opening nearby. | It wants schools to close their gates at lunchtime and councils to stop new fast food outlets opening nearby. |
| But the Local Government Association said it could not force schools to shut their gates and that food retailers could challenge licence refusals. | But the Local Government Association said it could not force schools to shut their gates and that food retailers could challenge licence refusals. |
| Dinner money | Dinner money |
| The trust has issued a "league table" of the local education authority areas with the most takeaway and sweet shops per secondary school. | The trust has issued a "league table" of the local education authority areas with the most takeaway and sweet shops per secondary school. |
| At the moment school canteens have to compete with a myriad of take-aways, chippies, and sweet shops for pupils' dinner money Judy HargaddonSchool Food Trust | At the moment school canteens have to compete with a myriad of take-aways, chippies, and sweet shops for pupils' dinner money Judy HargaddonSchool Food Trust |
| Seaside towns - with dozens of outlets aimed at tourists - and inner city areas, fare the worst. | Seaside towns - with dozens of outlets aimed at tourists - and inner city areas, fare the worst. |
| Topping the list is Brighton and Hove, with 46 per school, closely followed by Blackpool and Hull. | Topping the list is Brighton and Hove, with 46 per school, closely followed by Blackpool and Hull. |
| School Food Trust chief executive Judy Hargaddon said: "At the moment school canteens have to compete with a myriad of take-aways, chippies, and sweet shops for pupils' dinner money. | School Food Trust chief executive Judy Hargaddon said: "At the moment school canteens have to compete with a myriad of take-aways, chippies, and sweet shops for pupils' dinner money. |
| "We all know that some children will go for chips five times a week if they are allowed to. | "We all know that some children will go for chips five times a week if they are allowed to. |
| "The problem is that this is damaging their long-term health, and is also threatening the viability of school lunch services." | "The problem is that this is damaging their long-term health, and is also threatening the viability of school lunch services." |
| Burger ban | Burger ban |
| She is backed by a dietician from London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. | She is backed by a dietician from London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. |
| 10 WORST LEA AREAS 1 Brighton and Hove 46.11 outlets per secondary school2 Blackpool 40.633 Kingston upon Hull 40.004 Reading 39.175 Middlesbrough 38.336 Manchester 36.957 City of Bristol 36.948 Inner London 36.669 Newcastle upon Tyne 36.2110 Gateshead 35.00 Source: School Food Trust | 10 WORST LEA AREAS 1 Brighton and Hove 46.11 outlets per secondary school2 Blackpool 40.633 Kingston upon Hull 40.004 Reading 39.175 Middlesbrough 38.336 Manchester 36.957 City of Bristol 36.948 Inner London 36.669 Newcastle upon Tyne 36.2110 Gateshead 35.00 Source: School Food Trust |
| Paul Sacher said: "Children face daily temptation from junk foods and many find them hard to resist. | Paul Sacher said: "Children face daily temptation from junk foods and many find them hard to resist. |
| "These foods play a big part in weight gain, have little nutritional value and contribute to health problems later in life." | "These foods play a big part in weight gain, have little nutritional value and contribute to health problems later in life." |
| Some councils and schools are taking steps to try to restrict the ability of children to buy fast food during school hours. | Some councils and schools are taking steps to try to restrict the ability of children to buy fast food during school hours. |
| Leicester City Council is drawing up plans to ban mobile burger vans from areas around schools, and some schools already operate policies which stop children from leaving at lunchtime. | Leicester City Council is drawing up plans to ban mobile burger vans from areas around schools, and some schools already operate policies which stop children from leaving at lunchtime. |
| Licence fight | Licence fight |
| General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders John Dunford said there were practical issues that could prevent all schools and colleges keeping children on site at lunch time. | General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders John Dunford said there were practical issues that could prevent all schools and colleges keeping children on site at lunch time. |
| He added: "For instance, large schools with multiple entrances would struggle to provide adequate levels of supervision. Other schools were built with canteens that are physically too small to cater for every pupil." | He added: "For instance, large schools with multiple entrances would struggle to provide adequate levels of supervision. Other schools were built with canteens that are physically too small to cater for every pupil." |
| Dr Sacher encouraged other local authorities and schools to take steps to protect child health by restricting the number of new licences issued for fast food outlets in the areas around schools. | Dr Sacher encouraged other local authorities and schools to take steps to protect child health by restricting the number of new licences issued for fast food outlets in the areas around schools. |
| However, the Local Government Association said this could be hard to enforce, and any refusal to grant a licence could be challenged. | However, the Local Government Association said this could be hard to enforce, and any refusal to grant a licence could be challenged. |
| A spokesman said: "Councils are up for using all the powers at their disposal, including planning, to play their important part in tackling this weighty issue. | A spokesman said: "Councils are up for using all the powers at their disposal, including planning, to play their important part in tackling this weighty issue. |
| "It is wrong to imply that planning laws that ban junk food outlets around parks and schools are a potential 'silver bullet'. | "It is wrong to imply that planning laws that ban junk food outlets around parks and schools are a potential 'silver bullet'. |
| "Local authorities have to base their decisions on good evidence of potential harmful impacts, and the matters they are allowed to take into account by law." | "Local authorities have to base their decisions on good evidence of potential harmful impacts, and the matters they are allowed to take into account by law." |
| She said that while education authorities could encourage schools to adopt "stay in" policies, they could not be compelled to do so. | She said that while education authorities could encourage schools to adopt "stay in" policies, they could not be compelled to do so. |