THE bar on burgers, chocolate and fizzy drinks from school menus has seen more Lancashire primary pupils than ever get their teeth into school lunches.

But high schools have seen the number of students tucking into school meals dip since a fatty food ban came into force at the start of term.

Following a campaign spear-headed by TV chef Jamie Oliver, the government ordered that from September pupils get a minimum of two portions of fruit and vegetables with every meal, while deep-fried food was restricted to two portions a week.

Burgers and sausages made from mechanically recovered meat, sweets, crisps, biscuits and chocolate have also been consigned to history under the food ban.

Although not able to give exact figures, education chiefs admit the ban has seen a fall in the number of high school pupils taking school meals in Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley.

But it has sparked an increase in those eating dinners at the county's primary schools.

Coun Maureen Bateson executive member for children's services said: "Initial indications show that there may have been a small decrease in take up of secondary school dinners but an increase in primary school dinners.

"Therefore it is too early to draw any conclusions either way."

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said things such as the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in September could have had a bearing on the dip.

He said: "We are continually looking at how menus can be improved and made attractive to students without compromising the new standards. It is pleasing to see the younger children are taking to the new meals."

However, not all secondary schools have seen a dip in pupils eating school dinners.

Since employing a gourmet chef and banning fatty foods in February, Blakewater College, Blackburn, has seen dinners double from 150 to 300 a day.

School business manager Phil Deakin said: "The key to our success is treating pupils like customers and constantly ask pupils what they enjoy eating.

"We have even run parent and pupil cooking lessons offering advice on healthy meals."

And since complying with the ban, Rawtenstall's St Paul's Constablelee CE Primary School has seen the number of its pupils eating school lunch increase from 89 to 120.

Eight-year-old Luella Curness from Cherry Crescent, Rawtenstall said: "The new menu is really good. I don't miss the fried food and love the fruit and vegetables we have. Plus we do get a weekly treat such as a piece of cake - as you can't be good all the time!"

l Nationally secondary schools have mirrored the picture in Lancashire with a survey revealing that school dinner intake has dropped by 5.8per cent since September.