Children in Sunderland who get free school meals have less chance of doing well in their GCSEs than their peers, according to Government figuresDocuments obtained from the Department for Education and Skills show only one in 10 Wearside pupils on free school meals got five GCSEs A*-C, including English and maths, in 2005. This compares to a success rate of one-in-four for pupils who pay for their meals. There is also a gap in success in further education success between those who pay for their meals and those who don't. Teacher and Tory councillor Robert Oliver, the Sunderland Conservatives' spokesman on education, said the figures showed the education system wasn't doing enough for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said: "Children with homes with books and an educational environment in them are going to do better, and there's the thing that children of teachers do best of all."

Children should be locked in school at lunchtime to boost the uptake of school meals and stop them eating unhealthy food, say Sunderland Tories.At some secondary schools, fewer than one in 10 pupils now pay to eat in their school canteen, despite efforts to improve the food on offer. City leaders want to see junk-food exclusion zones set up around schools to stop youngsters buying greasy lunches from burger vans instead of healthy school meals.Robert Oliver, a teacher and Sunderland Conservatives' spokesman on education, thinks the best approach is to introduce lunchtime lock-ins. Many secondary schools on Wearside now keep at least 11-to-13-year-old pupils in school, some preventing all but sixth formers from leaving the school gates at lunchtime – and Coun Oliver wants to see all schools adopt that policy. "My opinion is that, realistically, only lock-ins are going to make any difference," he said. If you look at the table of top-performing schools, they are all keeping pupils in all the time. Obviously I don't think that's the reason they're doing well – there are probably other reasons as well – but there's definitely a link."

Angry councillors want the city council to take action on fly-posters, rather than letting people off for first offences – just weeks after a get-tough policy was introduced. At least eight posters advertising the Cool for Cats disco at the Independent on Holmeside have been posted on council and BT property across Herrington, Doxford Park and Barnes. Council officials say the perpetrators will not be prosecuted as it is a first offence, but Conservative members Robert Oliver and Michael Dixon are calling for a clear message to be sent out to all flyposters who are messing up Wearside's streets.

A council mix-up has left neighbours seeing red after a phone mast was sited next to their homes. Sunderland City Council has found itself embroiled in a battle with phone giant O2 to see the mast pulled down. But the company is sticking to its guns and has vowed it is there to stay. O2 lodged plans with the council to erect the 15-metre mast opposite the Dolphin Pub at Ashdown Road, Farringdon, in February last year. The council opposed the bid over the design and siting of the mast, and nearby residents launched a petition on the grounds that it would affect property values and their health.

They say measures must be put in place to control the "dangerous" A690/ A19 roundabout, which links to Doxford International Business Park. Now residents and councillors are urging Sunderland City Council and the Highways Agency to switch the rush hour-controlled traffic lights on at all times to stop dangerous drivers from racing across the roundabout. One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "I watched the traffic going round there and sometimes it was just horrendous, especially when people are getting to work and they just put their foot down to get there. "I've got common sense when I'm driving, but it's survival of the fittest around there. "There's already been quite a few accidents, but one day there will be a serious one. "I've spoken to a number of people round here and they all seem to think the same." Couns Robert Oliver and Michael Dixon, Tories for St Chad's ward, have been approached by several residents who have expressed fears over the busy roundabout. And the two councillors have spoken to the council to see if the traffic lights can be turned on at all times, after dubbing the roundabout an accident blackspot.

Tory councillors Peter Wood and Robert Oliver put forward a motion to get support to extend the Metro to Doxford International, Washington and other parts of the city. At a full meeting of Sunderland Council, Coun Wood said: “Good public transport is essential, especially in urban areas. It is needed to facilitate the movement of people, both work and pleasure-related. “With increasing road traffic congestion, it is becoming more important to provide a realistic alternative.”Coun Oliver said the move was essential to meet the demands of the increasing number of businesses at Doxford International and Rainton Meadow.