FIFE COUNCIL’S ruling SNP/Lib Dem alliance has set up a team to look at how to deal with the problem of snack vans selling unhealthy food to the region’s youngsters outside schools.

The move follows the recent decision by councillors to grant a licence to the owner of a snack van to park near Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline.

Members of the local authority’s regulation and licensing committee had suggested siting the van inside the school gates, but stopped short of doing that.

Residents living near Queen Anne have complained for years about the hordes of youngsters who make their way down Pilmuir Street at lunchtime.

Some of the pupils drop litter and behave in an anti-social manner.

The council’s administration is also concerned about the numbers of children who eat little but junk food.

Douglas Chapman, chairman of the council’s education and children’s services committee, said, “Our working party will consider how we use all the tools at our disposal, including the licensing system, to encourage our children to avoid eating high salt, high fat, highly processed food.”

Mr Chapman said the school’s management team were working hard to encourage children to eat well.

Two vans provided by the council set up shop inside the school grounds during meal breaks and the school’s parent council said recently they believed they were more than sufficient.

David Eves, chairman of the parent council, told The Courier recently, “There is a healthy eating policy at the school, a policy that is being constantly updated.

“It cannot be a wise decision to encourage a chip van onto the school grounds.”

Mr Chapman added, “I would like to see more of this ‘carrot and few chips’ approach and maybe that would mean giving additional funding to the schools, like Queen Anne, who are genuinely promoting a healthy eating regime and are managing to change eating behaviour amongst their students.

“We need to take the ‘Honey, we’re killing our kids!’ message more seriously and I believe this is more than just a health issue.

“It’s also directly related to attainment and achievement in school and I am sure that’s what parents, students and our teaching staff want for all our children.”

Councillor Gerry McMullan, chairman of the regulations committee, added, “I am delighted we are taking forward the initiative to discuss a situation that is a Fife-wide issue.

“It is vital we as an administration tackle unhealthy eating and promote better options for our school pupils.”