A PRIMARY school has seen the number of its pupils tucking into lunch soar within a week of installing controversial finger-print technology in its dining room.

St James' CE Primary School, Clitheroe, last week became the first in East Lancashire to embrace the technology following a successful Lancashire County Council pilot at schools in the west of the county.

And Paul Adnitt, headteacher at the 318-pupil school, said it had paid immediate dividends.

"It has proved so much more efficient and within a week the number of children taking school meals has gone up from 130 to 160.

"No actual fingerprints are taken and parents have to give their consent.

"The children love it, it's exciting and there is a real buzz around the school."

The technology, which costs around £10,000, turns parts of the finger print into a electronic digital signature which recognises the pupil.

Pupils put a finger into a machine and insert coins or notes for their dinner at the start of the day and when it comes to dinner time they can insert the same finger when they pass the till.

The technology also allows catering staff to electronically monitor exactly what pupils are eating.

Mr Adnitt added: "This technology really supports our healthy school status because when the child comes to pay for their dinner, it immediately brings up their image and the system allows us to record what they are eating."

He said that if a parent was concerned about what their child was eating the system allowed the school to look at what the child had ordered and inform the parents they were eating very well.

And he added: "I would urge other schools to follow suit. You have to embrace new technology."

Privacy International is among human rights campaigners calling for a ban on such technology, fearing fingerprints were being stored and used without parental consent.

But education chiefs in the county have dismissed such fears.

A spokesman added: "Fears of fingerprinting are unfounded as no actual fingerprints are stored. Fingerprinting is voluntary and parents may opt out. Information is not kept when the child leaves school.

"Pupils can lose swipe cards and dinner money and this system can monitor eating patterns and is another way to introduce children to information technology."

Peter Morgan, director of children's services at Blackburn with Darwen council has also dismissed fingerprinting fears.

"The use of any technology is a matter for schools and governing bodies. When schools consult us on these matters we would always advise them to consult parents and work with them on such issues."

l The dining room technology is similar to the fingerprint systems already supplied to around 230 of the county's schools.