SCHOOL-meal supplier Chartwells failed to inform the authorities about the fire which disrupted its services until the start of term, according to Dorset County Council.

The council’s cabinet member for education Toni Coombs claimed the catering firm bore the blame for the fiasco, which has seen teachers across the county having to buy pizzas and sandwiches for their students.

Chartwells has claimed that the blaze last month, which badly damaged a kitchen unit in Ferndown, was responsible for the problems, which will leave some Poole pupils without hot lunches for two weeks.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Cllr Coombs said the first the council knew about the fiasco was when schools began to call in to complain.

“The council has done its utmost to ensure Chartwells fulfils the obligations in its contract, the obligations lie with them,” she said.

She said she did not believe there was a “need” for the contract to be cancelled. “This is an improving situation, less and less schools will be affected every day.

“At the moment we are going to continue to use Chartwells’ services. There is no reason to cancel the contract two weeks in, although there are provisions in the contract if we chose to do so.

“We are all working together.”

Councillors and officers from all three Dorset authorities held a meeting with Chartwells’ managing director Robin Mills yesterday morning to discuss the issue.

Cllr Coombs said “tough questions” were asked of the firm.

“We will be making sure that all schools affected by this situation are compensated by Chartwells for the inconvenience that has been caused,” she said.

“All three councils and Chartwells understand and regret the impact this has had on schools and I'd like to assure them that we are working as quickly as we can to get this right and are very grateful for their patience and understanding.”

Dorset County Council said the company was currently working on a replacement kitchen unit in Poole, which will be ready by October half term, and in the meantime is hiring more staff and putting on more delivery vans.

It may also source food from outside the county. Mr Mills said they had, on Wednesday, delivered a good service to “90 per cent” of Dorset schools.

“We completely understand the concern and inconvenience that this has caused and we have apologised to those affected,” he said.