Girl's birthday treat for fellow pupils falls foul of healthy eating 'police'

A girl aged nine was barred from sharing her birthday cake with classmates at her Yorkshire school because it did not comply with healthy eating rules. Olivia Morris wanted to share her chocolate cake with friends at school in Rotherham.

But the closest they got to a slice of the treat was seeing it displayed at a morning assembly, while they sang Happy Birthday and Olivia blew out the candles.

Olivia's great-grand-mother Eileen Morris, who baked the cake and decorated it with sweets and nine candles, found the new rules hard to swallow. "It is absolute nonsense," said the 79-year-old. "I understand the need to teach children healthy eating, but surely a birthday cake is a special treat.


Photo from here.

"This is just a silly application of rules and it's political correctness for the sake of it. I blame Jamie Oliver – things have just gone daft since he came to Rotherham with his Ministry of Food." Rockingham Junior and Infant School headteacher Heather Green said it was important not to give pupils a "mixed message" by accepting cakes.

"We love enjoying the birthdays of our pupils and we celebrate them both in class and in assemblies. At the same time, however, we are working really hard to promote healthy eating and lifestyles among our pupils through healthy schools and other projects.

"It is a tricky balance not to give a mixed message to pupils if we say to them 'be healthy and eat healthily at school', but at the same time we say 'bring in your cakes and buns to celebrate'." She added: "We really appreciate the gesture from Mrs Morris and I have already spoken to Olivia's mother to explain why we prefer cakes not to be brought in."