Infant school children entitled to free hot meals are settling for sandwiches as their new kitchen is still not ready.

Powers Hall Infant School hoped to supply hot dinners from October after the Government ruled all Reception, Year One and Year Two children should get free meals from September.

But a delay with gas installation has set back the plans top November 4 and the school are offering free cold meals to children instead.

Howbridge Junior School cooked and delivered hot meals to the school until July, but the service has now been stopped.

Mum Kate Booker, 46, of Bramble Road, sends her sons Teddy, 4, and Sonny, 6, to Powers Hall Infant School.

She said: “The school said they can supply cold meals, but due to limited space, they would prefer if children brought their own packed lunches.

“I don’t understand why they have stopped receiving hot dinners before the new kitchen is finished.

“The school has had a year’s notice to put something in place - I understand they are working towards it but the date keeps going back.”

Howbridge Junior School headteacher Sean Wade said they stopped supplying hot dinners for Powers Hall Infants at the end of the summer term as they could not cater for extra numbers.

They are continuing to provide hot dinners to Howbridge Infant School.

He said: “We enjoyed providing the meals but with the move to free schools meals for infants, there’s no way my kitchens could deal with the numbers.”

Headteacher at Powers Hall Infant School Claire Jacques said: "We share parents' disappointment that our comprehensive kitchen build is not ready by the date planned, due to a delay with gas installation which was beyond our control.

“We are working with the Local Authority as one of a small number of schools, that due to the scale of works involved, are not yet able to deliver a hot school meal.

“To date no parents have contacted the school or Local Authority with concerns.”