The Vegan Society protest delivered by Sandra Bushell, no light hidden, fumed against dairy products that she said were more dangerous to the city’s children than drugs, causing heart disease and cancer.

As councillors sipped their milky coffees, Bushell admitted she did sound extremist but pupils did not need their daily pinta. “If we were really meant to drink milk, why do we not suckle cows?” she asked udderly bemused councillors.

She hoofed it back to safer pastures. Vegans ate sensibly without dairy products. “Beans on toast is a healthy vegan meal.”

Elizabeth Maginnis, convener of the herd, noted that 60 per cent of primary kids took daily milk. “You have some way to go to persuade people. Perhaps suckling cows’ udders will do it. I do not know,” she mooed mysteriously.