A Frome town councillor, speaking as an individual but representing his constituents, has asked the local MP to come to the town to explain his decision for voting against a motion to extend free school meals over the holidays.

With half term starting at the end of this week in Frome, there was a motion in parliament yesterday (October 21) to keep the free meals scheme for the poorest children operating when schools are closed.

Only five Conservatives rebelled against the Government to vote for feeding more than 1.4 million children during school breaks until Easter next year.

They did not include the Frome and Somerton MP, David Warburton.

Today a local Frome Town Councillor, wrote to the MP in a private capacity to invite him to Frome and to explain why he voted the way he did - to the people who need that help most.

The vote would have given each child a £15 a week food voucher even during the holidays but was defeated by 322 votes to 261 - with a majority of 61.

Scott Ward who is the Frome Town Councillor for Highpoint Ward wrote: " I have this morning emailed the MP for Somerton and Frome David Warburton MP to ask him to explain his reasons for voting against the opposition motion to extended free meals for school children into the holidays for the near future.

"Frome is rich in projects like Fair Frome, Food at Five and the two community fridges we have here. (One of which was the first of it's kind in the UK) but yet we face a very real and bleak future that includes food poverty, just like villages, towns and cities all over the country so I find it shocking and disheartening that the UK Government would use it's majority to vote against this vitally needed motion."

Scott Ward who told Nub News that first and foremost he is a constituent and "interested resident of Somerton and Frome" has invited the MP to visit Frome and meet some of the families that access the food services and to explain his reasons for his vote directly to them.