SCHOOLS across East Lancashire are to have their meals provided by someone new: a giant pest control company!

Rentokil has bought BET Catering Services, which supplies food to schools in the county.

And the news comes as dinner staff voted to take industrial action in a row over pay.

Rentokil and BET, which employs 3,000 people in the county, has vowed the service will remain exactly the same, despite the buy-out.

Charles Grimaldi, group corporate affairs director with Rentokil, said: "We always buy businesses to build them up, not shed vast amounts of jobs.

"BET had built up the catering side of its business but didn't even mention it when it produced a new corporate strategy.

"We believe catering will be in better hands under Rentokil. We realise our's is not a very good brand name for a catering company and it's likely that the service will eventually be known as Initial." Michelle Oliver, spokesperson for Bracknell-based BET, said: "We're not about to change our name to Rentokil Catering Services!

"But we will continue to provide the same service to schools."

The purchase comes as public service union UNISON balloted members employed by BET.

Its national executive committee has now approved plans for a strike after members voted in favour of industrial action.

Now urgent talks chaired by ACAS will be held between BET, UNISON, and other trades unions involved in a final bid to solve the dispute.

Dinners for thousands of pupils in East Lancashire will face disruption if the 900 staff strike.

Talks broke down when UNISON resisted moves to cut staff hours by 10 per cent.

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