MP Matthew Offord spiced up his trip to India by visiting a canteen which feeds hundreds of children across the country.

The Hendon conservative politician saw the inner workings of the Midday Food Programme, in Mumbai, which provides 65,000 school children with cooked lunches.

The unique project between the Indian government, ISKRON Food Relief and other private partners, costs 900 rupees - £90 - a year for each child.

Also known as the Annamrita, the programme is part of the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna in Hillfield Lane, Aldenham.

He said: “The project’s success lies in the fact that it encourages families to ensure their children attend school for the midday meal and, in turn, the children receive an education.

“This not only means increased nutrition in the children's diet but also improves the literacy and numeracy of millions of children across the country.

"It is incredible what this social action project is achieving in feeding and educating over 1.2 million children in India each day. These children are the future for India and the project is assuring them of one.

“This is an initiative I intend to continue to be involved with and will be making my assistance available in the future to ensure such inspiring work can continue.”