Dismissed: Alison Waldock was sacked for accidentally serving pork to a Muslim girl (Picture: ITV)

A primary school dinner lady has been sacked from her job of 11 years for gross misconduct after accidentally serving pork to a Muslim girl.

Alison Waldock, 51, served lunchtime roast gammon to seven-year-old Khadija Darr at the Queen Edith Primary School in Cambridge.

She said she forgot the dietary needs of the girl who had said yes to the pork.

Despite the school’s headteacher spotting the mistake before the youngster ate the food, Ms Waldock was dismissed following a complaint from the girl’s parents to catering firm Lunchtime UK.


Ukip leader Nigel Farage has jumped to the defence of Ms Waldock, calling her dismissal ‘outrageous’.



‘We’ve all made mistakes in our lives and in our jobs, and I can imagine 250 kids coming through chattering, it’s noisy, you’ve got time pressures on you, and mistakes get made,’ he told ITV1’s Daybreak.

‘The reason that Alison’s been sacked is that we’re so terrified in this country of causing offence to anybody, particularly the Muslim religion.’

(L to R) Alison Waldock with Inayat Bunglawala and Nigel Farage on Daybreak (Picture: ITV)

Ms Waldock said she was considering challenging the dismissal.

‘It’s something I’ll have to think about, because it’s my livelihood,’ she said.

Inayat Bunglawala, founder of campaign group Muslims4UK, said her sacking had been an ‘overreaction’ but was also critical of Mr Farage for getting involved in the issue.

‘I am a bit concerned that a leader of a political party would seek to make capital out of this, because it is a minor issue,’ he added.