HUNDREDS of school meals staff in West Sussex face losing their jobs as hot dinners were finally axed in all primary schools.

School kitchens are to shut down in 247 primary schools.

Instead cold snack boxes will be delivered to schools by the company which has won a controversial new contract to run the meals service.

Contractors Gardner Merchant will prepare the snacks at a central location.

But it is not yet known how many of the meals service's 800 staff will be hired by the company when it takes over the service in September.

Today the decision to end hot meals was described as an "outrage" by a senior officer from the trade union Unison.

Gardner Merchant was awarded the meals contract at a private session of West Sussex Education Committee.

It is believed councillors also considered a bid from current contractors Castle View, which has held the contract for five years.

Earlier this year councillors voted to cut £300,000 from the schools meals subsidy this year and £500,000 in future years.

Senior officers admitted the cut would mean that a new catering company would not be able to serve hot meals.

Tory councillors say the money saved on meals will be spent in classrooms.

The new contract will have no effect on secondary schools with Gardner Merchant continuing to run a cafeteria-style operation.

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