Junk food is being confiscated by teachers at an East Barnet school in an attempt to encourage healthy eating.

Pupils at Danegrove Primary School, in Windsor Drive, have been banned from bringing sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks and full-fat crisps.

Persistent offenders risk having their food taken away from them. The snacks are returned at the end of the day, but only if parents ask for them.

One parent, Magdi Cullen, 34, said: "When I found out what they were doing, I thought: 'This is a primary school, not Guantanamo Bay.'

"I can't believe teachers go through their lunchboxes because there might be something like a small chocolate bar.”

Sharon Thomas, 44, from Monks Avenue, New Barnet, sneaks chocolate and crisps into her 11-year-old son's lunchbox because she fears he will not eat anything otherwise.

She said: "I generally think it's a good thing, but they've taken it a bit too far. My son is a funny eater and he won't eat a sandwich, yoghurt or fruit at school.

"If I didn't give him chocolate bars and crisps, he would just go hungry.

"I don't really agree with taking things away from children. They're kids, after all, and at the end of the day they will burn it all off."

Headteacher Deborah Metcalf defended the new rules, saying the school was simply trying to promote healthy eating in line with Government guidelines.

She said staff did not have time to search lunchboxes, and had only confiscated one packet of biscuits since the policy came into effect last September.

“We introduced a new school dinner with lots of salads and fruit, and thought it would be fair to encourage pupils with packed lunches to eat the same," she said.

“We no longer allow chocolates, biscuits, cakes, fizzy drinks, sweets and full-fat crisps, and encourage parents to send in things like fruit, veg, rice and pitta bread sandwiches.

“We have no time to look through everyone’s lunches, but if we notice someone has brought in something unsuitable, we will put a note in their lunchbox to give to their parents.

"If someone breaks the rules more than once, we would consider confiscating their food."

Mrs Metcalf insisted most parents and children approved of the new system.

She said: “The system has actually proved very popular since we brought it in, and now pupils are quite shocked if someone brings in something like chocolate."

Peter Hogarty, 51, from Brookhill Road, East Barnet, and his nine-year-old daughter Dominique both supported the headteacher.

Mr Hogarty said: "I think it's a good idea. I didn't realise quite how strictly they were enforcing it, but Dominique has never complained.

"There seems to be a lot of evidence that sugary drinks and bad food leads to bad concentration in class."

Seyar Khoram, ten, from Churchill Road, said most children did not have a problem with the rules.

He added: "I don't really mind. It keeps everyone healthy, and you can always snack before or after school if you want to."