Hindu school drops ban on carnivores and drinkers

Britain's first state-funded Hindu primary school has been forced to abandon plans to restrict entry to practising vegetarians.

The admissions crack down has also meant that Krishna Avanti School in Edgware has had to ditch a requirement that parents avoid alcohol.

It is the latest in a series of controversies to engulf the school since it was proposed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

The £13.5 million school is due to open in September. Other rows have centred on the loss of playing fields and claims that it will create congestion.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has attacked faith schools that link requests for contributions to applications. Nitesh Gor, director of the I-Foundation, which has developed the school, said there "certainly won't be any attempts" to force parents to make payments.

But there are still concerns that the school - likely to be heavily oversubscribed as only 30 places are available each year - requires pupils and parents to be regular worshippers at a Hindu temple.

Mr Gor said this was the most practical way of ensuring applicants were members of the faith, and confirmed that 10 of the 30 places would be reserved for attendees of the Bhaktivedanta Manor near Watford, the main temple for the society which is founding the school.