A nine-year-old girl who became an internet hit after blogging about her school dinners claims she has been banned from taking photographs of her meals.
Martha Payne, from Argyll, began publishing photographs of her school canteen lunches on 30 April.Her NeverSeconds blog got more than two million hits in just a few weeks.But in a post published on Thursday evening, Martha said her head teacher told her not to take any more photos.
Under the headline "Goodbye", the post stated: "This morning during maths lesson I got taken out of class by my head teacher and taken to her office. I was told that I could not take any more photos of my school dinners because of a headline in a newspaper today.”
"I only write my blog not newspapers and I am sad I am no longer allowed to take photos. I will miss sharing and rating my school dinners and I'll miss seeing the dinners you send me too."
Martha gave each meal a 'food-o-meter' and health rating, and also counted the number of mouthfuls it took for her to eat.
The decision, according to her father, was not taken by the school, which has been very supportive, but by the Argyll and Bute council.It's not quite clear why - perhaps there is a ban on taking photos inside schools, or maybe there is some concern about the damage to the reputation of the school meals service.
I prefer to think there is another explanation - and that this is all a cunning plan by the councillors to draw attention to their beautiful region with its dramatic coastline, and fine cuisine.
It seems to be working - the case of the banned blog is rapidly becoming a cause celebre, with emails, tweets, and presumably phone calls arriving at council headquarters from around the world.
The council's decision to impose the ban came after the Daily Record newspaper published a photograph of Martha alongside chef Nick Nairn under the headline "Time to fire the dinner ladies."
Martha had been using the blog - which she started with the help of her father Dave - to raise money for the Mary's Meals charity.
An explanatory note posted on the blog by her father read: "Martha's school have been brilliant and supportive from the beginning and I'd like to thank them all.
