BURY'S table-topping school dinners will be further improved by the additional money the Government announced this week.

The borough already spends 50p on ingredients per meal in primary schools, meeting the minimum target set by ministers as part of the £280 million boost.

Nevertheless, town hall chiefs have promised to spend Bury's share of the money on better quality ingredients and cooking.

Figures show that Bury is in the top quarter of councils nationally in the amount it spends on primary school meals, and is top of the Greater Manchester league.

It was one piece of good news to emerge from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's campaign to improve school meals, which showed that some councils were spending just 37p on a typical meal.

Mr Mike Kelly, Bury Council's deputy chief executive, said: "Our menus currently exceed Government nutritional standards guidance, and we have followed the Caroline Walker Trust guidelines since 1996.

"We have had a low salt, low fat policy since 1990, and we are slowly but surely taking salt out of food. We have also made fresh fruit available since 1990, and removed fizzy drinks from counter sales."

He added: "We know the value of healthy eating, and we know how very important it is to children and parents. The pupils' concentration levels are higher, for instance.

"We don't know yet how much each school will get from this money, but we can assure people that we will put it into the quality and preparation of food."