Mosques have launched a legal challenge against an English council’s bid to ban “cruel” halal meat in schools.

Lancashire County Council was due to introduce a new contract next month which will require schools to serve meat from suppliers that pre-stun animals before slaughter.

But the move has been put on hold as Lancashire Council of Mosques is now seeking a judicial review, claiming the authority did not consult adequately over the decision.

Abdul Hamid Qureshi, CEO of the Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM), said that if the council refuse to backtrack, he will call for a “region wide boycott” of school meals.

He told The Daily Telegraph: “They reached the decision without any consultation. They should have communicated with the community that are most affected by it. They did not follow the correct process.”

Mr Qureshi added that the Muslim community is “very angry” that the council has branded their faith as “cruel”.

“We can’t accept that position. It is hurtful and negative. Our community really objects to that,” he said. “We will be calling for a boycott of school lunches if the policy goes forward.”

The proposal to ban the practice was introduced by Cllr Geoff Driver, the Conservative leader of Lancashire county council, who has argued that it is “abhorrent” and “really, really cruel” to slaughter animals without stunning them first.