WITH schools closed completely, the initiative being run by a local family business will be welcomed by parents in the Cowdenbeath and Kelty areas.

The Beath Fry and Kelty Fry chip shops are from today running special school kids' distribution sessions from noon to 1.30pm when meals will be distributed by staff to any parent or child who needs their lunch.

Sean Murphy, who runs the Beath Fry shop, in Dalbeath Crescent, said: "This a real emergency for parents and families in general.

"We have been part of the community for over 20 years and we want to put something back.

"My son Kris and daughter Caitlin run the Kelty Fry and are ensuring that the service will be available there from today and my team in Cowdenbeath will be doing likewise.

"We want mums and dads or children just to come to the shop and we will provide a free meal."

Kris, who runs the Kelty Fry, in Blackhall Square, said: "Our plan is to run this every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, to make sure that children have something for lunch.

"Our suppliers have been very generous when they heard about our plans and it is brilliant that they are helping us."

This is an important move now that school kitchens locally will not open from Monday with drop-in lunch sessions for Free Meal Entitled (FME) pupils.

A letter delivered to parents at a West Fife School said: "In response to a further update on the social distancing advice, a decision has been taken to cancel the provision of meals in school buildings.

"We have been advised that direct payments will be made to families, with the first payment being made this week."