Oliver urges NE mayor to ban junk food transport ads

Jamie Oliver has called for child health to be put above politics

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has called on the incoming North East mayor to ban junk food adverts on public transport.

The food campaigner issued a challenge to the six candidates on social media to “put child health first” as one of their priorities.

A total of 11% of reception-age children and 26% of those in Year 6 in the region are classed as obese, according to a recent Newcastle City Council report.

Oliver said junk food marketing “makes children want it more, pester their parents for it more, and ultimately consume more unhealthy food”.

The chef said children pestered their parents for junk food

The winner of Thursday's mayoral election will have the power to bring bus services and the Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus under public control.

Independent candidate Jamie Driscoll, who is the sitting North of Tyne mayor, said a ban in London had prevented almost "100,000 obesity cases" and saved the "NHS over £200m".

Labour’s Kim McGuinness also backed the campaign and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had "set the highest bar of any candidate on child poverty".

Tory candidate Guy Renner-Thompson argued education rather than "banning things" was the answer, adding "wealthy men called Jamie" should not tell people "how to live their lives".

Six candidates are in the running to become the new North East mayor

Lib Dem Aidan King agreed and said it was "another example of the nanny state trying to tell people what they should and shouldn’t be doing".

The Green Party’s Andrew Gray indicated he would be supportive of the advertising ban.

Reform UK's candidate, Paul Donaghy, had been approached for a comment.

You can vote in Thursday's mayoral election if you live in Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland or County Durham.

It is being held at the same time as local council and police and crime commissioner elections.