A COLLEGE has come up with a recipe to help improve school dinners.

In response to the National Agenda on Healthy Eating in schools, East Durham and Houghall (EDH) Community College is running a new course for pupils.

The area came to the public's attention when Eden Community School, in Peterlee, featured in Jamie Oliver's School Dinners series.

The programme criticised the standard of food being served to the youngsters.

The school later adopted a policy to provide its own home-cooked meals.

Following the series, which caused national debate on the issue, the college has been working with a number of schools in the Easington area, providing catering courses at schools.

The college has reported record enrolment figures for this year's catering intake.

As a result of the courses, the college will shortly be awarding food hygiene certificates to a number of youngsters from Shotton Hall School, Peterlee, where students completed the course in their own time.

A college spokesman said: "It is all well and good placing healthy options on school menus, but the real trick is to educate young people into understanding issues such as nutrition.

"Hopefully, this will be the first step on the ladder."