A BOLTON MP has spoken out against government proposals to make it compulsory for calorie counts to appear on menus.

The Department of Health and Social Care wants to make it law but in September last year the Treasury said small businesses should be exempt from the measure because of the costs involved.

Bolton West MP Chris Green is backing small businesses in his constituency on the issue.

He said: "There are some fantastic restaurants and cafes around the constituency who serve delicious food, yet these proposals will only increase the costs to both them and their customers.

“If these changes are imposed, restaurants and cafes in my constituency will have to pay costs of up to £500 to determine the calorie count of each of the dishes they serve.

“We should be working to support local businesses, not hindering their success and growth with guidelines like these which is why I am calling for the government to rethink these proposals.”

The government is planning a consultation on the issue, which could help tackle childhood obesity.