THE news that pupils at a city school are choosing to sneak out at lunchtime and gorge themselves on sausage baguettes and fizzy drinks will hardly come as a surprise.

Ever since Jamie Oliver kicked off his healthy school lunches initiative, there has always been the danger of a backlash - and here it is, courtesy of Elgar Technology College.

Some students - about 30 of them every day - are finding a way out of the school and queuing up at Christopher Lown's burger van to sample his delights.

Now, we are sure that the school is doing everything it can to prevent these lunchtime raids. Headteacher Tony James is adamant that Elgar has a clear policy that says students are not allowed off the school site at lunchtime.

It is equally clear that this policy isn't working.

We don't blame Mr Lown. He has every right to station his burger van at that location and sell food to whoever he likes. It is, after all, a free market.

So, what's the answer? Well, appropriately enough, it is this - education. Children are not going to alter their eating habits overnight - and the drive to encourage healthier lunches is a relatively new one.

We are sure the school is, like so many other Worcestershire schools, offering very tasty meals at a reasonable price.

The children - and, more importantly, their parents - need to take on board the message that, in the long run, sneaking out of school to stuff yourself with a bacon sarnie is not going to do your health, or your education, any favours.