Jamie Oliver's dinner lady quits over Government's broken promises

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Nora Sands, who starred with the chef in his TV campaign to ban junk food from schools, is leaving Kidbrooke School in Kidbrooke, south-east London.

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Quit: Nora Sands is frustrated at the government's lack of financial backing for healthy school meals

She has resigned in frustration because the Government has not delivered on its promise of an increase in funding for school meals.

A friend said: "Nora is passionate about this campaign. To see nothing change despite all the problems is heartbreaking.

"She became increasingly frustrated at trying to provide a healthy menu with none of the extra money or training for staff promised by the Government. In the end she had had enough and couldn't continue."

Oliver said it was "a great shame" she was leaving. He told the Daily Mirror: "Nora has made incredible changes at Kidbrooke and really struggled over the last four years without support.

"I know that after a short break she is hoping to find a way to help and support all the other fantastic dinner ladies who are working hard to make sure the kids are getting a decent hot meal every day."

Ms Sands confirmed her resignation but said she did not want to discuss it. She added: "I could do with a rest."

The Government promised £500,000 to boost nutrition standards in canteens following the success of TV show Jamie's School Dinners but when Oliver returned to Kidbrooke School in the second series Ms Sands told him she was only getting an extra £2,000 in her budget.

She said children were also bringing junk food from home to school instead of eating the school dinners.

It meant the school plunged £15,000 into debt as the numbers of children eating school meals fell.

Ms Sands will cook her last school meal at the end of term in July. Education Secretary Alan Johnson said she had been a "great ambassador". He added: "She has made a massive contribution to improving school meals. I hope she will continue to play a role in the future.

"We are investing almost £500 million in school meals to undo decades of neglect and billions to update all our school buildings, including new, modern kitchens.

"Turning around attitudes to school dinners that are ingrained is a long-term challenge involving Government, schools and parents."