CELEBRITY chef Paul Heathcote has turned down the chance to see what school cooking lessons are like after launching a stinging attack on education chiefs.

Paul, who owns Heathcotes in Longridge, blasted modern-day teaching styles in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph on Monday.

He claimed he was finding it harder to find staff who come up to scratch because pupils are no longer taught to cook in Food Technology lessons, and said the nearest pupils got to cooking was using a microwave.

He also attacked the lack of attention paid to developing social skills, claiming the two fundamental skills of working in the hospitality industry were being sidelined in favour of Information Technology and Science.

But the chef, who owns a string of restaurants and is a regular on various cooking television programmes, has had to turn down an invitation from a high school which was determined to prove him wrong.

Harold Gillibrand, public relations officer at St Wilfrid's High School, Bank Top, Blackburn, invited Paul into the school to see a 'real life' domestic science lesson.

Mr Gillibrand said: "We were very surprised to see Mr Heathcote's comments in the newspaper because we pride ourselves in excellence in all lessons, including Food Technology.

"We invited him to the school to see what our lessons were actually like because I think he may have the wrong impression.

"We certainly don't encourage the microwave culture."

Speaking from his Longridge restaurant, Mr Heathcote, said: "I was pleased to receive the invitation but unfortunately I do not have the time to visit the school.

"I spend a lot of time travelling and working with people I train for my restaurants so I just cannot fit it in.

"I would like to thank the school for their invitation."

He added: "My comments were not aimed at specific schools but the education system as a whole. An industry which provides so many jobs for youngsters is being sidelined in my opinion."