Black market for junk food in schools

A black market for junk food such as crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks is thriving in British schools. Enterprising children are getting round bans on unhealthy foodstuffs by filling their schoolbags with treats and selling them behind the bike sheds and in the toilets.

The BBC has obtained evidence that the black market is flourishing. Such is its extent that some children only agreed to speak to the Beeb's website under promise of anonymity for both themselves and their school.

One 16-year-old at a South London school said 'You can get a good deal from the boys selling sweets. They sell them cheaper than the tuck shop used to. Their chocolate bars are only 30p and crisps are 20p. Even if the school started selling these things again, me and my friends would still buy from these boys, because they're not so expensive.'

According to this pupil, three boys have cornered the market in her school. One sells crisps, another chocolate and the third sweets.

When told of these findings the Headmaster said he was shocked but declined to comment further.

In another part of the capital, one pupil organises lunchtime trips by car to McDonalds or Subway to get pupils their sugar fix. There is no junk food available in his school and fizzy drinks in vending machines were replaced by water two years ago.

Teaching union leaders had predicted that the onset of 'gastronomic puritanism' would lead to the black market. It seems it's the old story of forbidden fruit (or, in this case, crisps) tasting sweeter.

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