A GROUP of burger van owners have taken legal action to overturn a ban on selling snacks to children outside school gates.

They have taken North Lanarkshire Council to court after being hit with a 250 metre exclusion zone.

Council bosses introduced the ban last year saying they were increasingly concerned about factors shown to contribute to childhood obesity.

But outraged van bosses, Karen McCluskey, Stephen Kerr, Patricia Hardie, Annmarie Pratt and Caroline Kane have taken action to try and beat the ban.

Falkirk, West Lothian, Angus, East Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde councils all currently impose conditions on street traders licenses, banning trading within a certain distance of schools.

North Lanarkshire councillors were told in a report in April last year: "Once such a condition is imposed there will be those holding street trader licences both static and mobile who will be adversely affected because they rely on trade from school pupils and therefore legal challenge is a possibility."

The council operates 24 secondary schools and has issued 108 static and 109 mobile street trader licences.