CROSS party support was called for this week from county councillors to ban the use of French meat in Cheshire's schools.

The calls came as education committee chairman Peter Nurse assured councillors everything possible would be done to identify and eliminate any possible risk to Cheshire schoolchildren.

He was responding to concerns from councillors about claims from the European Commission that sewage sludge was being used in the production of French animal feed.

Some 41,000 school meals are served each day in Cheshire's 300 schools.

The county imports some of its meat, whose origin was this week being checked with suppliers.

Labour councilor Scott Marsh called for cross party support for a ban on the use of French meat in Cheshire's schools and social service units.

''We must act now to safeguard the health of our children,'' he said.

He was supported by Conservative Stephen Wilkinson, who said schoolchildren needed to be offered the same protection as they were from BSE.

Clr Nurse is to seek guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture to clarify the position over the use of French meat.

Conservative David Rowlands said councillors should also ensure advice was given to schools that British beef was the safest in the world.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.