The great school dinner raid

Mothers have sparked a rebellion at a school after raiding its kitchen to discover what their children are eating.

Parents found freezers full of reconstituted meat and tinned and packet food, and hardly any fresh vegetables or fruit.

Since their discovery, the number of children eating school dinners has plummeted to 50 out of 210 and the mothers have demanded that a new company take over the catering.

Amid nationwide debate over children's diets, the mothers acted after their offspring told them about their lunches at St Paul's C of E primary school in Primrose Hill. A typical day's menu at the school includes chicken dippers, cheese slices and breaded fish or vegetable shapes.

The mothers spent months writing to and calling catering company Scolarest and Camden council - who awarded the firm the food contract 18 months ago - demanding information about exactly what their children are being fed.

Natasha Seery, whose six-year-old son started at St Paul's last year, said: "I wanted to know where the meat came from, what vegetables are used, how much fat and salt is in the food and so on."

When neither Scolarest nor the council responded directly, the mothers raided the kitchen. Helen Tinsdale, 41, who was also involved, said: "There were no fresh ingredients at all. All the meat was reconstituted. And there was nothing to cook with - no flour, no oil."

Mrs Seery and Mrs Tinsdale immediately took their children off school lunches. Mrs Seery said: "Despite protest across the country about Scolarest, Camden council are still using them. It stinks."

John Wilkinson, headteacher at St Paul's, said: "I understand why there is so much concern about the standard of the food. It has plumbed new depths. Things have to change."

In a statement, Camden council said: "The school meals service has improved since it was awarded to Scolarest in April 2003."

A spokesman for Scolarest said: "Scholarest school menus are analysed by our own and the client's nutritionist to ensure they are nutritionally balanced according to guidelines laid out by the Department for Education."