PARENTS from County Durham have complained that changes in the provision of school meals mean their children are buying expensive and unhealthy food.

From this year, private companies can provide school meals that include the type of pizzas and beef burgers youngsters buy on the high street.

But parents from north-west Durham comprehensive schools St Bedes RC Comprehensive and Blackfyne Comprehensive, in Lanchester and Consett respectively, have complained to Durham County Council about price and quality.

Officials at the authority have promised to take up their concerns to the private contractors on their behalf.

A spokesman for the council explained that this year all 36 comprehensive schools in the county had to negotiate their own contracts with individual companies to provide meals.

Altogether, 25 of them chose the Chartwells Group, which negotiated a standard contract with the county council.

The others, including St Bede's, negotiated their own contracts with other companies.

The spokesman confirmed the authority had received "a number" of complaints from parents and some teachers.

He said: "We are aware that some concerns have been raised about the pricing structure at the two schools and we are talking about this to the school meal providers."

Derwentside parent David Rolfe, whose two sons attend Blackfyne school, said there had been chaos at the school during mealtimes.

He said: "I think the old school system provided a balanced diet at a cheaper cost.

"They have also brought in a new payment system, where the children have their own smart-card, and it seems that no one at the school understood it."

Blackfyne headteacher John Brierley admitted there had been teething problems with the new system of payment, but said the new types of food were proving popular with the students.

He said traditional meals were still being provided at only a marginal price increase.

Defending the system, a spokesman for Chartwells said: "I can't tell you exactly how much the new fast food prices are, but they are certainly well below high street prices.

"The quality of the fast food is very high and healthy - pizzas can be very nutritional and we also have salad and sandwich bars.

"These are older children who now have a much wider choice of high quality food."

No one from St Bede's could be contacted yesterday, because telephone lines were out of order.