Published: Thursday, 2nd July, 2009 6:05am

Council u-turn on festival sweets

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THE sale of confectionery at the Haddington Festival Cafe will be banned from 2010.

In a dramatic u-turn, festival organisers have bowed to mounting pressure from parents angered by the availability of low-cost sugar-laden sweets at the cafe, which operated at Haddington Corn Exchange during last month"s successful civic jamboree.

Swarms of kids descended on the popular town centre venue at lunchtime to gobble up treats including 'metre-long sticks of bubble gum, giant-sized sugar dummies and boxes of 24 fruit flavoured sherbet fizz pops'.

According to King"s Meadow Primary School Parent Council, which represents the views of parents and staff at the non-denominational school, pupils returned to afternoon classes where the 'knock-on effect unfortunately led to some problems'.

Jan Wilson, festival coordinator and chair of Haddington and District Community Council, initially defended the sale of the sweets by two stallholders, whom she has refused to name.

She stirred a hornets" nest by telling a meeting of the watchdog group: 'If you deprive kids of stuff, the chances are that they will get them another way. Education has to start at home and we"ve got to be able to trust that children will do the right thing.'

The ensuing public backlash resulted in a number of letters of complaint being received by the Courier, with parents demanding the community council take appropriate measures to prevent sweets from being sold at the festival cafe in future years.

Members of the King"s Meadow parent council urged the festival organisers to vet stallholders more closely before renting out pitches.

This week, Mrs Wilson revealed that the community council has, after further consideration, agreed to shelve sweet sales from next year.

She insisted: 'Members of Haddington Community Council do take matters seriously in all aspects of community life. At the time the original letter was brought to the community council meeting, I had received one verbal complaint at the festival cafe.

'After the article appeared in the Courier, I received a further two e-mails of complaint, including one from King"s Meadow.

'I have stated to my colleagues that I will write to the stallholders concerned (which I have done) and outline the nature of these complaints and will state that they will not be allowed to sell sweets at the next festival tabletop and craft fair.'

Mrs Wilson told the Courier: 'I can understand people"s concerns over the sale of sweeties, but when I was first approached about this I had been unaware that these sweeties were being sold.'

An East Lothian Council spokeswoman said: 'East Lothian Council promotes healthy eating through both the curriculum and our school meals, milk and snacks, by providing tasty and nutritious food that meets the Scottish Government"s strict nutritional regulations.

'Our school meals team also works with schools across the county on a range of healthy eating initiatives, which have included Hungry for Success and Veginvasion.

'Healthy eating is something that East Lothian Council has championed in schools for a number of years, and which we continue to develop as part of the curriculum and life of every school.'

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