Jacob Lynn, 10, refused school lunch over a 90p debt Jacob Lynn was in tears after dinner ladies said he didn't have the money His online account had 80p in it - meal would have put it 90p in the red School governor father has resigned and pulled both children out of school 'It is like neglect as he was in their care,' said furious father Unhappy: School governor Gary Lynn has resigned and pulled both his children out of school after his 10-year-old Jacob was refused lunch over a 90p debt Like many other schoolchildren, 10-year-old Jacob Lynn was looking forward to his school lunch. The hungry youngster was eyeing up chicken nuggets and chips after a tough morning in class. But after placing his order, the student was refused a meal by dinner ladies because it would have put his lunch money account 90p in debt. Instead, Jacob burst into tears in front of his fellow pupils and was told to go to the playground. His father Gary has now resigned as school governor and pulled both his children out of school. The 42-year-old is furious the school did not inform him of the shortfall and let his son go hungry 'like a scene from Oliver Twist'. Mr Lynn, a leisure industry manager, said: 'I couldn't believe it, it is like going back to a Charles Dickens 19th century period novel the way he has been refused his dinner. To treat a young boy like that is just unforgivable, I would have expected to be contacted and would have paid the debt off. My wife and I both work full time and sometimes you just forget. For this to be taken out on my son when it is my fault is mad. 'The school meal is the highlight of most children's day but for him to be left in tears is ridiculous, it is like neglect as he was in their care.' His son, Jacob, added: 'I was quite upset by the whole thing. 'It is a small thing to stop me having lunch, all I wanted to get was chicken nuggets and chips but they wouldn't let me.' Angry: Mr Lynn claimed his son, Jacob, was in tears after he was refused the meal. The Hayes School in Paignton, Devon, is pictured Canteen lunches at Hayes Primary School in Paignton, Devon, are funded through an online account system. Jacob shares a family account with his brother Harrison, eight, who also attends the school but normally takes packed lunches. When the incident happened last Friday, the account had just 80p in it - 90p short of the £1.70 required for a meal. Jacob fled the canteen in tears and was later given an apple by a dinner lady who felt sorry for him. Mr Lynn, of Paignton, said: 'He burst into tears in front of everybody and was told to go to the playground. Standing firm: The school has said the kitchen staff were abiding by the rules A couple of minutes later a meal time assistant came out and gave him an apple because she felt sorry for him. I was enraged, I went and spoke to the head teacher and said I would settle any account, but it had transpired that if he had eaten on that day the account would have only been into the red by 90p. The head got back to me with an e-mail on Monday morning and said there was a policy that if the child was in the red he would be denied a meal. I want this so called policy removed so that this cannot happen to any other children. 'It is not a policy that is written down, I tried to look for it on the school website but I can't find it. My wife was horrified by the whole thing too, we are both providing for our family and when something like this happens it is ridiculous. Mr Lynn and his wife Natalie, an NVQ assessor, have now removed both children from the school. Jacob will be home schooled until he begins at Churston Ferrers Grammar School in nearby Galmpton in September. Harrison is due to transfer Brixham Primary School next week. Mr Lynn has not received an apology and has now resigned as a governor after five years. He said: 'We all forget things and I hold my hands up. I don't expect him to be fed for free but I expect to be told so I can clear my arrears. They are making the child suffer at the adults incompetence of not paying the bill. Common sense should have prevailed. In an internal response, Sean Hindle, business manager at the academy status school said: 'The kitchen staff were abiding by the rules. 'They normally phone parents to let them know that their account doesn't have any money, and that their child won't get a lunch that day unless the account is credited.' A statement from the governors of the Hayes Primary School in Paignton said the rule was introduced to prevent 'significant numbers of previous occurrences of late payments and bad debts on school meals'. It added: 'Mr and Mrs Lynn were notified on three occasions prior to the mealtime of interest that their debt was due and that their son would not receive a meal if the debt remained unpaid.' The school said it regretted the distress the incident has caused and was 'disappointed that it has been portrayed by this parent to have been fully responsible for withholding a meal from him'.