A £235,000 system to overhaul a school dinners service is to be launched in Gateshead.

The borough council is investing in catering equipment and a cashless system in its schools over the next three years, in order to keep up with demand.

The system, for primary schools, allows parents to pay for their children's meals in advance.

"It means youngsters will not need to carry cash at school, as an electronic swipe card is used in dinner hall tills.

It aims to reduce queuing time and also means that youngsters who receive free school meals are not singled-out in any way.

Councillor Ian Mearns, deputy leader of Gateshead Council, said: "To provide nutritious, varied meals to more than 600 customers in the space of just 40 minutes every day at a typical secondary school, is a great achievement by our school meals service.

"And because of the ever increasing demand from youngsters across the borough who want to enjoy their lunch-time meal at school, Gateshead council has decided that it needs to make an additional £235,000 investment in the service, to meet the needs of customers over the coming years."