PUPILS in Bolton are paying above average for their school dinners - even though they are subsidised by the council.

And prices are set to rise by 5p this September.

An average primary school meal nationally now costs £1.48 a day.

In Bolton, parents of primary school children pay £1.55 on average.

In secondary schools across the country, a meal costs £1.59, while the average price in Bolton secondary schools is £1.64.

The prices of school meals across the country were released in a survey of local authorities carried out by the public sector union, Unison. It showed the price of school meals nationally had soared by 44 per cent over the last 10 years, compared with retail price inflation of only 16 per cent over the same period.

It is believed that rising prices resulted in the number of pupils having school dinners falling by by 41 per cent in primary schools across the country.

Bolton Council is among a shrinking number of local authorities that subsidise school meals.

Meals would cost 7p more without the subsidy, and Bolton has also seen a lower percentage increase in prices compared to the national average. When the price of school dinners in Bolton goes up by 5p in September, as expected, it will be the first increase since a 3.3 per cent rise in September 2004.

Bolton Council Environmental Services provides around 15,000 meals a day to schools, and the ingredients for each meal cost around 48p, compared to roughly 37p nationally.

The price difference between the national figure, and the amount parents pay is accounted for by staff and other catering costs.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: "Environmental Services is careful to ensure that the price increase reflects the cost of the meals and is also in line with the national pricing strategy. The current tariff remains good value for money."

She added: "The free meal allowance is available for low income families who are eligible and the tariff is set with careful regard for both the paying customer and to support the sustainability of the service.

"The next increase is planned for September and is likely to remain at 5p, giving an increase of 3.2 per cent, although this is only an estimate."