A primary school headteacher has been accused of “fat-shaming” pupils after he told parents that their children were too overweight and should walk to school to lose weight.

Dr Huw Humphreys, head of the Christ the Sower Ecumenical Primary School in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, sent a newsletter to parents which said: "Our children, overall, are fatter and more obese than other children in Milton Keynes."

He urged children to walk to school, adding: “They could really do with a lot more exercise." Dr Humphreys later apologised, after his letter prompted a backlash from parents.

"It is simply not acceptable for the head to fat-shame our children - particularly when this is supposed to be a Christian school,” one parent said.

The headmaster wrote again to parents, explaining that "one parents asked me to apologise... because the term "fatter" could be seen as offensive.

"I am very sorry that this hurt people and had no intention at all of causing offence by using the term. However the issue itself is critical. We can't ignore it."

He went on to describe why he felt it was important to highlight the issue of the pupils’ weight. All pupils are weighed when they enter reception at the age of four, and their their Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated, he said.