Christian schools are serving pupils halal meat from animals that have not been stunned before slaughter.

The schools could be serving the meat to any pupil, not just to Muslims, and may be failing to inform parents of what they are doing, according to Geoff Driver, the Conservative leader of Lancashire county council.

He said that the council should ban meat from non-stunned animals and described cutting an animal’s throat without first making it insensible to pain as abhorrent. His proposal will be put to the council on October 26.

Twenty-seven schools with a total of 12,000 pupils in Lancashire serve meat from halal suppliers that do not stun animals under a contract with the council. These include several Church of England and Catholic schools.