The leader of Stevenage's Labour group, councillor Sharon Taylor has hailed the 'astonishing work' of Manchester United and England's social justice campaigner Marcus Rashford.

Rashford has been one of many across the country including Hitchin and north Herts pushing for free school meals for children during half term and beyond.

The scheme would have seen more than 2,300 kids in Hitchin and north Herts handed £15 food vouchers every week including Christmas.

However, the Labour-led proposal, that could have meant youngsters would have also had free school meals up to next Easter were voted down in Parliament 322 votes to 261.

The Tory snub led to a Stevenage restaurant responding to Rashford's plea to help give children free meals.

El bar de Tapas in the old town stepped up to offer food to any Stevenage children that rely on a free school meal.

The move came after Tories snubbed Rashford's free school meals bid to feed 1.4million hungry kids.

Rashford was so impressed by the Stevenage tapas bar's offer he retweeted it to his 3.5m followers.

Councillor Taylor added: "There's no more important priority than making sure our children don't go hungry.

"And I cant understand why any government would want to see that happening."

Hitchin MP Bim Afolami one of the 322 Tories who voted against the move, received stinging criticism from constituents after his decision.