UNIVERSAL free school meals must be introduced, the National Education Union has said, after a new poll indicated that a growing number of teachers are stepping in to provide food for hungry pupils.

A survey for the charity FareShare suggested that 28 per cent of teachers in England had provided food to at least one pupil in the summer term due to concerns for their welfare.

The poll of around 10,000 teachers found that 36 per cent of those working in more deprived areas reported handing out food to pupils, compared with 23 per cent in more affluent areas.