AN angry parent has slammed a town school after they asked parents to provide a vegetarian packed lunch and to make their children wear headgear on a trip to Islam, Hindu and Sikh places of worship.

The 150 year eight pupils at St John's Middle School, in Watt Close, will visit the three places of worship in Wolverhampton later this month. They will be observing rather than participating in worship. In a letter to parents, the school said: "Pupils will need a packed lunch, which on this day, must be vegetarian so our hosts are not offended.

"Again, in deference to our hosts, it will be necessary for each child to bring some sort of headwear, such as a scarf or a cap to cover their heads."

A concerned mother, who did not wish to be named, said: "It is completely hypocritical. If Muslim children came to St John's they wouldn't be asked to eat meat or to take their headscarves off. It is political correctness gone mad."

David Macey, the headteacher at St John's, said: "We have had an overwhelming amount of support from parents. We have been running this trip for eight years and it follows government dictate, which supports our religious education teaching."

The mother continued: "They may have been running the trip for the past eight years but we haven't been at war for the past eight years."

Recently a school in Islington, North London, was considering dropping the Saint part of its name for fear of offending non-Christian children.

Mr Macey said: "I can't ever imagine anyone being offended by St John the Baptist, can you?"

Dorothy Rollason, the headteacher of St Peter's RC First School on Rock Hill, did not wish to comment.

And Kay Cholmondeley, the headteacher of St Andrew's First School in Barnt Green, said she was also not prepared to comment.