Bradford College has backed a campaign calling on the Government to extend the provision of free meals to college students.

The Association of College’s No Free Lunch? campaign has also been backed by Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe and Bradford East MP David Ward, who attended an event in Parliament last week in support of the campaign.

The campaign aims to allow 16 to 18-year-olds from a disadvantaged background to be provided with a free meal at college.

Currently if they study in a school sixth form, academy or free school they are provided with a free meal. If the same student chooses to study at a further education or sixth form college, like Bradford College, they lose that entitlement.

Michele Sutton, the college’s principal and chief executive, said: “Students leaving school to go to college are disadvantaged by this lack of provision.

“If the rules were to be changed, all students in post-16 education would be treated equally.”

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said he also wanted all students to be treated equally.

He said: “The inconsistency in the provision of this vital service is incredibly unfair.

“I want all students in Bradford to be treated equally. The AoC has lodged a petition on the Government’s petition website calling for an end to this unfairness, which I have signed.”

The AoC has said it is unfair for students in colleges to not receive free meals while their counterparts in school sixth forms do.

The organisation said extending the right to free meals for college students would encourage participation of this age group in education and training.

The petition can be signed at epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31069.