London: Birthday cakes have been banned by a school in Lancashire because teachers do not have the time to check whether they are suitable for pupils with allergies.

Karen McCarter, head at Norbreck primary academy in Blackpool, told parents she “hates to be a killjoy” but due to “modern society” she could not risk giving children something they might be allergic to.

In a newsletter to parents last week McCarter apologised for the move, saying: “I appreciate that this is sad, but in our modern society, in which we are held accountable, we cannot take the risk.”

The head wrote: “As we are not able to account for the ingredients, we could unknowingly give a product to a child which they are allergic to.

“Even if we had a list of ingredients, in a busy school day it is too much to expect teachers to read it and decide who can and cannot eat the product. Sharing cake for a birthday is a lovely thing to do. However, all children are made to feel special when it’s their birthday and the teachers ensure all birthdays are remembered and celebrated.

“Cake is something to share outside of school with family or with friends at a party.”

McCarter said 10 of the school’s approximate 610 pupils had allergies and felt left out, and she said it was impossible to tell if kitchens at home were hygienic, adding that cake also went against the school’s healthy eating initiatives.

She said the decision to ban the treats from classrooms came after seeing teachers struggle to cut enough slices for a class of 30 people, as well as clean up the mess left behind.

The school said pupils bringing cakes to share with classmates had become a recent phenomenon but was disrupting an already busy school schedule.

Some parents said the ban was over the top despite the head being backed by councillors.

Nicola Mealor, the mother of seven-year-old Tyler Wallace, said: “It’s a bit over the top. Usually I send Tyler in with a cake on his birthday, but they always said it shouldn’t have nuts in. I didn’t know about this, but it’s a bit sad.”

No parents have lodged any official complaints, a spokesman for Blackpool council said.

The school has previously banned glass bottles, aluminium cans and cash, but McCarter denied being overprotective of the children.

She said: “We are not a school that makes decisions that overprotect children, we are a school that makes sensible decisions to keep children safe.

“I am certain parents would not want their children to attend a school where glass bottles and cans are on site. Children don’t bring money because they don’t need it.”

The mayor of Blackpool, Peter Callow, said: “I’m sure there will be people in the town who will think it’s overcautious, but the teachers are the people on the frontline and the decision is theirs.”

Councillor Tony Williams said: “To be left out because you are allergic is a little bit cruel. I understand why the school is doing this because it’s very difficult to take cake to school to share and leave children feeling left out. “I have never known it to be a problem anywhere else but if the school has children who are allergic then it’s common sense.”

The Food Standards Agency said while there was no legal requirement for cake being brought by pupils into class to display allergen ingredients, it was “good practice to do so”. A spokesman for the FSA said: “As part of their duty of care to children, schools will of course want to ensure pupils with food allergies or intolerances are kept safe.”