And the takeaway food has even been credited with promoting industrialisation and staving off revolution.

BBC: Chipping away at the history of fish and chips

Currently, VAT is not charged on most food and drink, or hot baked goods, but is payable on takeaway food sold to be eaten hot.

BBC: Pasty tax: U-turn 'a shambles' says Labour

Mr Balls drew MPs' attention to previous U-turns on changes to the rules governing tax relief on charitable giving, and imposing VAT on static caravan sales and hot takeaway food.

BBC: Osborne postpones 3p fuel duty rise due in August

It does no good whatsoever to ban takeaway food from schools and serve the children only food that they find disgusting and tell them that it's healthy - you're setting them up to believe that "healthy" is automatically a negative word, and to reject anything "healthy" in the future!

BBC: South East: Politics on the menu

Searches of Cerit's home and a fast-food takeaway business he owned in Ashford revealed copies of forged documents.

BBC: Ashford council candidate guilty of electoral fraud

Subsequent searches of both his home and a fast food takeaway business he owned in Ashford revealed copies of forged documents.

BBC: Kent

Karen Morrisroe-Clutton, 32, who has a four-month-old son, was in intensive care after eating food from the takeaway and remains in isolation at Wrexham Maelor Hospital after being taken off a ventilator.

BBC: E.coli probe shop set to reopen