DORSET MP Annette Brooke is calling on a council watchdog to examine claims the Chartwells school meals contract was not properly handled.

Yesterday, the MP for Mid-Dorset and North Poole said she had heard smaller catering companies had been effectively excluded from the contract by Dorset County Council.

“I met this supplier a couple of weeks ago, he was very upset as he was effectively told not to put in a bid for the county council contract because they seemed to be only looking at one large supplier.

“This will be examined by the audit and scrutiny committee, and I have asked our county councillors (fellow Liberal Democrats) to make sure there is a proper inquiry into how the contract was dealt with.”

Mrs Brooke, who was visiting Canford Heath Infant School in Poole, has called on education portfolio holder Toni Coombs to resign over the fiasco – which has seen hundreds of pupils go without hot meals since the start of term.

She said she was planning to visit a school supplied by Chartwells in the near future.

“There are still 23 schools in total – 11 in Poole – where children are not getting the hot meal they are entitled to,” she said.

The MP praised the ‘absolutely excellent’ hot meals served at Canford Heath, supplied by Forerunner, a Southbourne company which has doubled in size to serve 13 schools.

Owner Declan O’Toole, inset, has previously complained about the contract bidding process in the Daily Echo.

“There are plenty of companies like mine in Dorset who could have done a lot more, but we were pushed out by Dorset County Council,” he said.

“I am now getting other schools asking us to take over their supply, and I am going to have to turn them down as we don’t have the facilities in place.”

Canford Heath headteacher Fiona Daykin said she was delighted with Forerunner.

The school has gone from serving 40 hot meals a day to 300, but despite the logistical problems the transition has been smooth, she said.

“These children have had a healthy hot meal which means their energy levels are up for the afternoon and they are better able to concentrate, it makes a huge difference,” she added.

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said all aspects of the school meals contract would be discussed by the audit and scrutiny committee next month.