A COUNTY councillor has appealed to the government to reconsider its decision to scrap free school meals.

Thousands of children in the Cotswolds could lose their right to a free school meal under the government’s plans to review the scheme.

Universal free school meals offer every infant child a healthy meal at lunchtime, which saves families more than £400 per child per year and there are 2,957 children who receive free school meals in the Cotswolds.

Lib Dem county councillor for Bourton and Northleach, Paul Hodgkinson said: “If this goes ahead, the government will show it is willing to take an axe to the education budget at the expense of children's learning.

“By scrapping this policy they would take food off the plates of thousands children across the Cotswolds who now benefit from a free healthy meal at lunchtime. I’ve seen first hand how primary schools like Bourton and North Cerney have made changes to their buildings to accommodate the extra meals. When I served pupils their lunch at North Cerney I was very impressed by the standard of food and the children seemed to love it.

“The Liberal Democrats fought tooth and nail to get this through in Coalition because we want every child to have the best possible start in life and be able to concentrate in class, and all the evidence shows that a healthy meal helps with that.

“Instead of investing in our children, the Government is turning up at the school gate and taking their lunch away. I ask them to think again.”