Parents of schoolchildren in Dudley will continue to fork out for their daily lunches after Dudley Council failed in its bid to secure funding for free school meals.

Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho says the borough was not selected for the £20million Government scheme because they failed to come up with any match funding, resulting in their bid being turned down.

But her comments have sparked fury among councillors who say the bid never got to a stage where match funding was required.

Dudley was one of 31 local authorities shortlisted to apply for a pilot project that would see all primary school children in the borough given a free school lunch.

But just three of these councils were selected to take part – with Dudley not being one of them. Mrs Waltho said: “I am disappointed but hardly surprised that the council has yet again let our children down.”

But Dudley Council’s education chief, councillor Liz Walker, said it was a simple case of Dudley not fitting the Government’s bill.