Pembrokeshire County Council has apologised for any concern caused after a school was given an official food hygiene rating of one - meaning major improvement was necessary.

The rating was handed to Narberth CP School following an inspection on May 15.

The school has now been re-rated and handed the top rating of five, the council said.

The hygiene rating - often called the scores on the doors programme - is rated from 0-5.

Zero means urgent improvement is required and five means hygiene standards are very good.

Details on the Food Standards Agency Website about the May 15 report said the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building was classed as good, but hygienic food handling - including preparation, cooking, re-heating cooling and storage - was labelled as 'improvement necessary.'

The management of food safety, meaning system or checks in place to "ensure food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in the future" was classed as 'major improvement necessary.'

A county council spokesman told the Western Telegraph: "It is with regret that there has been an issue at Narberth CP School regarding the school kitchen.

"We apologise for any concerns that the poor rating issued by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) may have caused parents and pupils.

"The FSA rating was awarded as a result of some management issues, including record-keeping and other concerns.

"The issues were immediately addressed and rectified, and the FSA has today (22nd June) upgraded the hygiene rating to 5.

"The upgrading follows a request to re rate the premises by Pembrokeshire County Council."

In a letter home with children today, headteacher Nia Ward said the information about the rating had been 'leaked to the press', when in fact the report, like all hygiene ratings, is publicly available on the Food Standards Agency website.

Mrs Ward added: "I must stress this one rating was only due to paper work and technical difficulties with some of the equipment in the kitchen."

She added: "This had been appropriately actioned and reported by kitchen staff but hadn't been rectified by the relevant departments ta Pembrokeshire County Council by the assessment day. It was very unfortunate."

Mrs Ward stressed: "The above rating had nothing to do with the hygiene or the food that is prepared and served at the school."