STUFFING giant Paxo has got wind of the Daily Echo's Save Our Stuffing campaign and has waded in to help fight the county council's decision to take it off the dinner plate.

A Paxo stuffing supremo branded the council's decision "sad", said that children were to be "deprived" and suggested the council were using sub-standard stuffing.

The company, which has almost half of all stuffing sales, revealed that the savoury treat is more traditional than the turkey, with which it usually arrives.

The fuss follows the news that county council bosses have ended the accompaniment eaten on the festive occasion and stopped serving stuffing with their Christmas meal. Catering bosses say kids don't like it and they are fed up with putting it in the bin.

The decision means 80,000 Christmas meals served at 450 schools across Hampshire will not feature the seasonal seasoning, although Southampton schools have stuck by stuffing and kept it on the menu.

Paxo Brand Manager Paula Jamson hit back at suggestions that youngsters don't like her product. "Our research shows that stuffing is enjoyed by the vast majority of the UK's public, including children of all ages," she said.

She's sure that sub-standard stuffing is the problem.