Children across Sussex will get a taste of the white stuff when farmers deliver free milk to classrooms.

Thursday is National School Milk Day and farmers are keen to promote milk for schools by delivering it direct to pupils.

Newhaven farmer Roger Foxwell will supply pupils at Seaford County Primary School. He believes milk is vital for growing children and wants to help the dairy industry after the foot-and-mouth crisis.

He said: "I am sure most parents, like myself, would like their kids to have calcium-rich milk instead of sugary drinks and snacks.

"Milk helps to form healthy bones and teeth and it is a vital part of a growing child's diet. A lot of parents and teachers may not realise there is a scheme which will provide free or subsidised milk to schools.

"And the school milk scheme can help dairy farmers gain a better price for their produce and bring the milk price above the cost of production.

"It is up to parents, governors and teachers to play a part in getting free milk back into schools and farmers are pleased the county council is now helping them to apply for it."

Of the 44,000 schoolchildren in East Sussex who are eligible for free milk, only 3,000 receive it.

East Sussex County Council is backing farmers in getting milk into schools.

A council spokesman said: "We are investigating and developing ways of making the schemes even easier for schools to participate in and will continue to treat this as a high priority."