Fears of widespread child hunger spark calls for universal free school meals in UK

Teachers and charities say free meals needed for all state pupils as 800,000 children in poverty do not qualify

Hunger will be the single biggest challenge" schools face as children return to classrooms in the coming weeks, sparking calls for the government to introduce universal free school meals to help tackle the crisis.

Already, 800,000 children living in poverty in England do not qualify for free school meals, according to the Child Poverty Action Group, and now headteachers are bracing for rising numbers from homes that cannot afford to feed them properly.