NeverSeconds blogger Martha Payne 'banned' from taking school dinner photos
A nine-year-old girl who became an internet hit after blogging about her school dinners claims she has been banned from taking photographs of her meals.
Martha Payne, from Argyll, began publishing photographs of her school canteen lunches on 30 April.
Her NeverSeconds blog got more than two million hits in just a few weeks.
She gave each meal a 'food-o-meter' and health rating, and counted the number of mouthfuls it took her to eat it.
But in a post published on Thursday evening, Martha said her headteacher told her not to take any more photographs for the blog.
Under the headline "Goodbye", the post stated: "This morning in maths I got taken out of class by my head teacher and taken to her office. I was told that I could not take any more photos of my school dinners because of a headline in a newspaper today.
"I only write my blog not newspapers and I am sad I am no longer allowed to take photos. I will miss sharing and rating my school dinners and I'll miss seeing the dinners you send me too."
The council's decision to impose the ban came after the Daily Record newspaper published a photograph of Martha alongside chef Nick Nairn under the headline "Time to fire the dinner ladies.."
Charity blog
Martha had been using the blog - which she started with the help of her father Dave - to raise money for the Mary's Meals charity.
An explanatory note posted on the blog by her father read: "Martha's school have been brilliant and supportive from the beginning and I'd like to thank them all.
"I contacted Argyll and Bute Council when Martha told me what happened at school today and they told me it was their decision to ban Martha's photography.
"It is a shame that a blog that today went through 2 million hits, which has inspired debates at home and abroad and raised nearly £2,000 for charity is forced to end."
Mr Payne later told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme his daughter was not happy about the council's decision.
He added: "I can see that the photographs at the start didn't look the most appetising, but Martha marked the last school meal 10 out of 10.
"I understand that it's brought pressure from around the world and media interest, but that is really out of our control.
"But we are very supportive of the school - the fact that she has been encouraged to blog and she got permission to do this is testament to them.
"Everyone in the kitchens has been wonderful to Martha and she enjoys going into lunch every day."
Martha's blog was featured by media across the globe, with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver tweeting: "Shocking but inspirational blog. Keep going, big love from Jamie x."
Martha gave this cheeseburger a health rating of just 2/10
Among the pictures she published was one featuring her £2 lunch of a pizza slice, a croquette, sweetcorn and a cupcake.
Martha wrote: "I'm a growing kid and I need to concentrate all afternoon and I can't do it on one croquette. Do any of you think you could?"
The apparent decision to ban Martha from taking photographs has been criticised by Scotland's Education Secretary Mike Russell.
On his Twitter account, the MSP for Argyll and Bute said: "I think the decision is daft and I will be asking the council chief executive to reverse it."
Argyll and Bute Council has so far not responded to Martha's claim.
But in a statement released last month, it said: "Our school meal provision is fully compliant with nationally agreed nutritional standards.
"Young people make a choice from at least two meals and salad, vegetable, yoghurt and cheese options are available each day."
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