A BARROW councillor has slammed a free school meal scheme as 'disgraceful'.

Labour Ormsgill councillor Bill McEwan was left outraged after families across the UK shared pictures of free school meal parcels that they had received.

One mother posted an image of a £30 parcel which was estimated to contain just over £5 worth of food.

The disgusted parent, known on Twitter as Roadside Mum listed the items she had received, she said: “Two days jacket potato with beans, eight single cheese sandwiches, two days carrots, three days apples, two days Soreen, three days Frubes.

“Spare pasta and tomato. Will need mayo for pasta salad.

“Issued instead of £30 vouchers. I could do more with £30 to be honest.”

Bill McEwan, outraged by the provisions said: "I think it is absolutely disgraceful, honestly disgraceful.

"Somebody somewhere has got their hand in their pocket. £30 and they give them that? That won't keep a kid going.

"It is simple, the Government want to look at themselves and think what is going on here?

"This Government wants a good kick up the backside to be honest, to let something like that happen. They say they are going to do this and then turn around and say they are going to do that.

"This is an absolute shambles and there is profiteering going on somewhere.

"We are a disadvantaged and deprived area as it is, with wards that are up there in the highest of the country like Hindpool and Ormsgill.

"For people to rip people off like this its just not on. They should run out with masks on because they are bandits at the moment."

Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell echoed the disappointment with the content of the free meal hampers, he said: "It’s completely unacceptable.

"When money is available to fill these boxes with decent food, it’s outrageous that it is not occurring.

"My understanding is that that the Department for Education are speaking to the company responsible to ensure that boxes like this are not given to families in the future.

"I look forward to seeing the results of the discussions shortly."