SCHOOLCHILDREN are being encouraged to use their loaf as part of a healthy eating drive.

The pupils at Longshaw Primary School, Crosby Road, Blackburn, are the first in the town to be given free bread to ensure they get their daily ration.

The primary school now receives a total of 30 loaves of fresh Warburtons bread a week, from the Warburtons bakery, in Billington Road, Burnley.

Warburtons also provides free bread for Springhill Primary School, in Burnley, and Coal Clough Primary School, in Burnley.

The bread is toasted and given to children at the school's early morning breakfast club, and then to all 187 pupils in the school during morning break.

The school is sent a mixture of white, wholemeal and seeded granary bread from the bakery, and headteacher Ann Brants said that, of the three, white bread is proving the most popular.

Ann said: "Around 20 children come to our Breakfast Club before school, where we give them some toast with juice and then, at morning break, we give half a slice of toast to every child in school.

"The club came about to try to get children in school on time, and to provide them with a nutritious start to the day, as well as enabling parents who may work early shifts to drop off their children at school before the day starts.

"Every pupil has their free slice of toast. It's so popular when someone is off there is always at least one pupil who asks if they can have the extra piece. Nothing goes to waste.

"They send the school white, wholemeal and granary loaves. The children try them all, but the white bread is the most popular.

"We don't allow snacks in school and this is a healthy alternative for the pupils and keeps them going until lunchtime."

Duncan Lees, general manager of Warburtons, Burnley, said: "Warburtons is delighted to support Longshaw School's breakfast club.

"Warburtons believe that it is vital to fuel schoolchildren with breakfast, the most important meal of the day.

"Breakfast enables the human body to be prepared for the day ahead.

"Bread is an essential part of a healthy balanced diet as it contains calcium and fibre, plus essential vitamins."