HOT cross buns will not be a sticky issue in Suffolk as they were not on the menu anyway.In the wake of reports that some schools have been told to axe the Easter treat – deemed offensive to non-Christians – Suffolk education bosses have revealed that no guidance has been issued to headteachers in the county.

HOT cross buns will not be a sticky issue in Suffolk as they were not on the menu anyway.

In the wake of reports that some schools have been told to axe the Easter treat – deemed offensive to non-Christians – Suffolk education bosses have revealed that no guidance has been issued to headteachers in the county.

A council spokeswoman said the buns were not usually available in schools at Easter time as there was little call for them.

She added that even if they had been on the menu, it would still be up to individual schools and not the Local Education Authority (LEA) to decide whether to continue to serve them.

Some councils are refusing to hand out the traditional treats, fearing the symbol of the cross will prompt complaints from Jewish, Hindu and Muslim pupils or their families.

The ban has been imposed by authorities in the London borough of Tower Hamlets - recently criticised for serving pancakes on Shrove Tuesday - in Liverpool, York, Wolverhampton and Wakefield.

A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said British Muslims were far too concerned with the looming war in Iraq to take offence at hot cross buns, which have been a feature of English life for centuries.

A spokesman for the Church of England said there was no reason why any school should stop serving the buns.

Dali Jabbar, Ipswich Councillor for Priory Heath, said: "I have no hang-ups about hot cross buns. This fuss is all about trying to be too politically correct. If anyone has any spare, I'll have them. They are absolutely delicious with strawberry jam."