A HEADTEACHER whose school looks out over a string of takeaways has said the Government needs "to do much more" to stop youngsters eating junk.

And David Whyte, headteacher of St Wilfrid's CE High School Technology College, Blackburn, said money should be invested in cashless payment systems for food in all schools.

He was speaking after the national School Food Trust urged schools to stop students going out at lunchtime and councils to block applications for fast food outlets near to schools.

The calls came after the trust published its first "junk food league table", ranking the UK's 149 authorities by how many takeaways and sweet shops there are in an area in proportion to the number of secondary schools.

Blackburn with Darwen is in the worst 15 per cent of UK authorities, at 22nd.

Lancashire - the authority for Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale - is 52nd.

A spokesperson for the trust, a non-departmental public body established by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in 2005, said: "The popularity of junk food outlets means that many pupils are not benefiting from the new nutritional standards in schools."

The suggestions have been branded "naive" by Mr Whyte, whose school in Duckworth Street is located directly opposite a sweetshop, two takeaways, a chippy and a sandwich shop.

Mr Whyte said: "We don't allow our students out at lunchtime, primarily for their safety because it's a busy road, but it is also to try to encourage them to eat healthily. It is a bit of a nonsense though when there's takeaways on our doorstep.

"It's naive to believe that keeping students in at lunchtime will solve the problem, as they've probably already bought crisps and chocolate or a bacon sandwich on their way into school."

He also said that he did not believe that blocking takeaways near schools would have much effect. He said: "If students are intent on getting fast food, they'll walk as far as they can to get it."

St Wilfrid's invested thousands of pounds to install a biometric fingerprint recognition system for buying food in September, and Mr Whyte believes the Government should be investing to give all schools such systems.

Mr Whyte, a teacher for more than 30 years, said: "Students can put credit on their account with cash, but what we encourage is that parents send in a cheque instead.

"That means it truly is a cashless system, students cannot spend the money on food outside of school.

"If the Government is serious about this, it should provide grants for these systems in schools.

"Schools shouldn't be blamed for obesity all the time, as children are only in school for part of the time, it needs to be a partnership approach with parents."