South Yorkshire headteacher compares free school meals saga to 'A Christmas Carol' amid warning PM risks being seen as 'Scrooge'

A South Yorkshire headteacher has compared the free schools meals fiasco engulfing the Government as similar to “ A Christmas Carol and the likes of people not being able to feed themselves on Christmas Day”.

Pepe Di’lasio, headteacher at Wales High School in Kiveton near Rotherham, has already been putting plans in place to help families struggling to feed their children over half term.

And now the school is looking to work with a charity to provide financial help over Christmas for the first time as it is concerned that a growing number of children will be hit by poverty due to redundancies.

Mr Di’Iasio said: “This really is a time when you think of A Christmas Carol and the likes of people not being able to feed themselves on Christmas Day, or not having a decent meal on Christmas Day.

“It’s heart-breaking that the sixth richest country in the world can’t put this right and is happy to vote for children to go hungry over half-term and potentially over Christmas as well. It’s horrible.”

A petition from footballer Marcus Rashford, who has been spearheading demands for free meals to be extended in England over the school holidays, has increased the pressure on the Government to act.

While Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The Prime Minister will be perceived as a modern-day version of Scrooge if he fails to act, and deservedly so.

“This has been a terrible year for many families, and they should at least be able to have a Christmas without worrying about how they are going to feed their children. This is modern Britain, not the Victorian era.”

But the Government has insisted the best way to support vulnerable children and their families was to give extra money to councils to provide targeted help.

A number of Yorkshire businesses and councils have stepped in to provide food for hungry children over the holidays.

One Huddersfield cafe manager said her decision to use a £250 win on a football bet to provide food for struggling children during the holidays has prompted a “fantastic” community response.

Ali Waterworth’s offer to help families during half term was one of the many gestures Mr Rashford highlighted on his social media on Friday.

Ms Waterworth – who is a Manchester United fan – runs the Ruddi’s Vintage Treat Rooms cafe at Ruddi’s Retreat in Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield, which is a charity she set up to provide respite holidays for families with seriously ill children.

Ms Waterworth said she decided to take the initiative after a £2.50 bet on a football accumulator netted her £250.

She wanted to stress that she is not using any of the charity’s cash to fund the meals.

But she said that, since she publicised what she was doing, she has had donations and offers of delivery help from local people and businesses and even a professional rugby player.

She added: “Anonymous people have sent £10 and £20 and things, so we may be able to help more people then we thought, which is fantastic.”

She said: “Unfortunately Boris (Johnson) has got other things on his mind at the minute and he’s not doing as he should by the kids, in my opinion.

“I think that we need to try and help them. I don’t want anybody to go hungry.”

She said: “I’ve been watching the news and watching the stories and it’s been really sad.

“So I just thought ‘right, I’m going to spend some money and feed some children’. It’s as simple as that.”

She said: “It leaves me speechless to be honest.”

Asked about Rashford’s efforts, Ms Waterworth said: “I think what he’s doing is brilliant, I really do.

“I think we should all back him.”

Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Government could “learn from” the holiday activities and food programmes as a potential way of addressing concerns over how to feed vulnerable children.

While Boris Johnson promised to do “everything in our power” to tackle holiday hunger over Christmas, but he defended his handling of the row.

Universal Credit has been increased by £20 a week, while £63m was announced in June by ministers to help councils feed vulnerable families.

The Prime Minister highlighted the money given to councils and said Universal Credit is “one of the best ways you can help families in this tough time”.