A HEAD teacher who wants to ban chip butties has been threatened with legal action.

Linda Wright is pressing for a healthy eating regime at Colne Valley High School.

But she was stunned to be threatened with legal action from a parent.

Mrs Wright sent letters home with pupils, telling of her decision to stop selling the fat-filled snacks in the school canteen from November 1.

But within minutes, an angry parent was on the phone, demanding that her children should be able to buy the butties.

"I had a very aggressive and offensive telephone call from a parent who threatened to take me to court," said Mrs Wright.

"I was so offended that a parent could be so ignorant and so silly that they would threaten me over trying to provide a healthy diet for her children."

Obesity is a growing problem among children and the Government is urging people to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, to help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Mrs Wright's school at Linthwaite has a very popular, self-service canteen, Harlequins, run by Kirklees Food Services.

It offers healthy meals, such as salads, jacket potatoes, pasta, sandwiches and fruit.

But surveys revealed that many children were ignoring the healthy options and choosing a chip butty- every day!

"It is an enormous bun stuffed full of chips," said Mrs Wright

The butties sell at about 95p, similar to a jacket potato.

Mrs Wright said that for about £1.90 children could enjoy a main course meal and a pudding or fruit.

But many were spending dinner money on crisps and fizzy drinks on the way to school - with a chip butty at lunchtime.

Mrs Wright said: "A lot of parents think their children are coming to school and having a proper dinner - but they are choosing not to."

She said Government demands that schools took on responsibility for children's health, safety, education and welfare put them in conflict with parents who, in effect, did not want to parent.

"Schools and parents should be working together in partnership, but that is not always the case."

Dr Sohail Bhatti, public health director for Huddersfield, fully supported Mrs Wright.

He said: "She has shown a great deal of courage and leadership in taking the action she has done.

"I would like to encourage more schools to follow her initiative.

"I would be happy to provide any help and support that she or any other head teacher requires to improve pupils' diet."