Angry parents claim children are not getting enough time to eat or socialise with their friends after a controversial new lunch policy was introduced.

The scheme - branded family lunch - was brought in at the Towers School in Kennington at the start of the new academic year.

Students must spend 25 minutes sitting with tutor groups in an assigned seat during their lunch break.

It is then followed by 25 minutes of free time, where pupils will be able to socialise with their friends until the next lesson.

Head teacher Richard Billings introduced the idea before the start of the summer break, but parents criticised the policy and compared it to prison.

More than 450 pupils signed a petition against the school's controversial lunch policy in July, set up by 15-year-old Molly Vint.

But despite the protests, the new scheme has been rolled out in the school this September.

Paul Fothergill, who has two children at Towers, is concerned that the views of the children and parents are being ignored.

The Hothfield resident said: "He has ignored a petition that a large majority of children signed and is ignoring any of the concerns parents have.

"The school has said it is preparing the children for the work place but even in then, your boss doesn't tell you were to sit and eat your lunch.

"My nephew has additional needs and has always spent time in a separate room eating his lunch but he now has to sit in the hall and eat with everyone else.

"He is so anxious that he is not eating at all and is coming home really hungry."

Another parent, who has a son in Year 10 but would not be named, agreed, saying: "I think it is wrong to dictate who they should sit next to.

"They spend the whole day following rules and this is their chance to be able to spend time with their friends."

Other parents have raised concerns that pupils do not get given enough time, but teachers say that children get more time to socialise as the lunch break has been extended from 30 minutes to 50 minutes.

A spokesman from the school added: "We have now been running family lunch for a week and as we anticipated, it has not been without its teething troubles, but we’ve never been more certain that it is the right thing to do.

"Last year, students had 30 minutes for lunchtime and students were expected to get their lunch, find a place to sit, eat lunch, go to the toilet, fill their water bottle and do any playing and running around that they could fit in.

"Now students have 25 minutes to eat lunch and 25 minutes to use as recreation time.

"It is genuinely lovely to experience the atmosphere as tables of young people eat, chat and forge new friendships over lunch."