IMPROVEMENTS to school dinners in part of the region are being proposed in the wake of stinging criticism of their content by TV chef Jamie Oliver.

The chef, whose efforts to wean children off processed fast food featured in recent programmes, will receive a copy of a report compiled by a Durham County Council working group.

The group, made up of councillors, parent governors and Investing in Children representatives, spent six months looking at the issue of school dinners.

With an election looming, it has become a political football amid concerns that children's high-fat diets are making them unhealthy.

Meals at most state schools in the county are provided by the national contractor Scolarest, whose £7m contract the council is considering extending when it expires in August.

The firm has already responded to criticism by the chef, who was featured in his programme at Eden Community Primary School, in Peterlee, by announcing it would no longer serve Turkey Twizzlers, a shaped fast food, after the Easter break.

The working group has made recommendations to the council's cabinet, although school governors are now responsible for dinners.

These include ensuring that the meals contract reflects nutritional "best practice" and aims to reduce fat, salt and sugar consumption while promoting fruit and vegetables.

The report states: "Shaped products, such as Turkey Twizzlers and nuggets, should not be served.''

The group says oily fish should be included in menus along with wholemeal bread and a choice of fruit and vegetables.

It also proposes greater encouragement of pupils to take school dinners and choose healthier meals.

It wants to encourage more schools to sign up for the national Healthy Schools Standard.

School governors should have a greater role over pupils' health and there should be "more focused" monitoring of school meals standards.

The group also calls for more Government funding to help schools improve nutrition, citing the fact that the council has already pledged £300,000 extra spending to improve meal quality from September.

Councillor John Dormer, chairman of the working group, said a copy of the report would be sent to Jamie Oliver.

"Clearly, we're thinking along very much the same lines that children - like adults - should be encouraged to reduce their consumption of fat, salt and sugar and increase their consumption of fruit, vegetables and other essential nutrients.

"We welcome the attention his programmes have brought to this issue and we hope he will be interested in the work we have been doing over the past year and the recommendations we are making," he said.