A French school has sparked outrage by making Jewish and Muslim pupils wear red discs around their necks to indicate to canteen workers that they do not eat pork.

Piedalloues primary school in Auxerre, central France gave red discs to children who did not eat pork and yellow discs to non-meat eaters.

Only 18 of the 1500 schoolchildren were made to wear the discs last week, but the scheme lasted only one day after angry parents and community leaders protested.

“It’s revolting. It reminds you of the darkest times,” said local councillor, Malika Ounès. “Practices like this are not acceptable. No one has the right to impose this on children.”

Christian Sautier, director of communications in the mayor’s office, said it was “an isolated, clumsy and unfortunate initiative”, He added: “When we learned about it, we fell out of our chairs.”

The initiative was carried out by canteen staff, without informing the local authorities. The mayor has ordered an investigation.

This is not the first time pork-free school dinners have been a sensitive issue. Leader of far-right party National Front, Marine Le Pen, provoked anger when she tried to get schools to stop offering alternatives to pork in the towns where her party won local elections.