A COUPLE who set up a burger business near a school today said they were gearing up for a battle after schoolchildren were banned from visiting the van.

Staff at Darwen Moorland High School have been patrolling the playground at break and lunchtimes to prevent pupils from crossing Holden Fold to buy food at Burger Thing.

Owners David Cooper and Alison Campbell, landlord and landlady of The Oddfellows Arms, Holden Fold, are planning to retaliate by calling in the police if the dispute is not settled.

"We only opened on Wednesday. One of the teachers came and asked us to shut down and when we refused he stood next to the van stopping children from buying anything," explained Mrs Campbell.

"Other customers were starting to wonder if there was something wrong with our food.

"Pupils at the school go to lots of shops and takeaways in the area and we can't understand why we have been singled out.

Health and hygiene officers from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and officers from Darwen Police station have inspected the van after receiving complaints from the school.

Mrs Campbell added: "We have all the necessary permits and licences. It's cost thousands to get the business up and running. We have every right to trade and are prepared to tough it out. "The children obviously want to come because they are already finding ways to beat the ban and we can hear them chanting 'we want burgers'.

"We've had no explanation from the school and think the whole thing is very unfair.

"We are considering making a complaint of harassment if the situation doesn't get resolved soon."

Darwen Moorland headteacher Richard Bridges denied the business was being unfairly treated.

He added: "We have an undertaking with parents that children will be kept on site at all times unless there is a written agreement saying they go home for lunch. The pupils are our responsibility when they are here from a health and safety angle.

"When this facility appeared across the road we were concerned that pupils would want to skip off from the school site to visit it. It is nothing to do with what is being sold and we are not trying to ruin anyone's business.

"We can't police all the shops in the nearby estates and stop pupils from going to them on their way home at lunchtime but we can do something about it happening on our doorstep."

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