Two mothers today suspended their fast food deliveries to a school as they attempted to reach a compromise with the head teacher who wants them to abandon the service.

Julie Critchlow and Sam Walker started passing burgers, fish and chips, baked potatoes, fizzy drinks and sandwiches through the school fence two weeks ago after Rawmarsh Comprehensive School in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, introduced new healthy eating rules.

At the start of the autumn term, John Lambert, the head teacher, introduced healthier school meals that he says helps the children to concentrate better. He also banned children from going out during the school's new half-hour lunch break to stop them visiting local takeaways.

But Mrs Critchlow and Mrs Walker, who both have children at the school, said the regime does not give pupils enough choice or enough time to enjoy their lunch and so started to deliver up to 60 food orders from the grounds of a nearby cemetery while the school gates are locked.

However, after a short meeting with the deputy head teacher, the pair said they would not be giving out meals today, adding only that they had reached an agreement and would be returning for a meeting with the head later in the week.

Mr Lambert had earlier referred to the two mothers as misguided and said they were undermining the school and their children's education.

Today he said: "We need a little bit of breathing space. I think the parents realise the community of Rawmarsh has perhaps been portrayed in a way that is, perhaps, negative. We need to get back to the job that we do here." He added that he hoped the women would suspend their deliveries until the next meeting.

Mr Lambert said there had been noticeable benefits to the standards of behaviour and learning in afternoons since the new healthy eating regime was introduced and he could not see it changing. He said many parents in the school were pleased with the new menu and might not be happy to find out their children were being fed by others parents over the gate.

"I think we need to stand by the vast majority of parents who believe we are doing the right thing," he said.

Speaking before the meeting, Mrs Critchlow said: "We are not against healthy eating, far from it. We are saying the food in the cafeteria is not good enough to be classed as healthy eating. It is not the case that we want to fill them up with junk food. They just want to put us across as bad mums, but that is not the case."

The mothers said that the real culprit was Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef who led a high-profile campaign to force the Government to act on school meals.

Mrs Walker said last week: "I don't like him or what he stands for - he is forcing our kids to be more picky about their food."

Mrs Critchlow said she was angry that Mr Lambert had not consulted parents before changing the rules, which include swapping breaks of 15 and 45 minutes for two 30-minute breaks. She wanted Mr Lambert to have a full parents' meeting so that every parent could have a say in the matter.

Neil Beaumont, owner of Chubby’s, the sandwich shop where the women have been taking their orders, said today that he was trying not to take sides in the matter. But he added that he and his staff had received threats since the controversy erupted.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• How I lost the gift of joy for a while
• Why Ann Widdecombe has got it wrong
• Alas, it’s the end of the road for petrolheads