Patna, Dec 18 (IANS) Panic spread among students in Bihar's Saran district after a dead rat was found in a midday meal, school officials said Friday.

Dozens of students were stunned when a dead rat was found in a midday meal at the Chandrashekhar Azad Middle School in Saran district, about 80 km from here.

'Some students cried loudly after a dead rat was found in a midday meal in the school Thursday afternoon and soon it created panic among hundreds of students,' a teacher said.

After that most of the students refused to consume the midday meal served to them.

Hundreds of villagers also gathered as the news about the dead rat spread. 'Angry villagers demanded action against an NGO, which is in charge of distributing the midday meal in the school,' an official said.

The school headmaster Surendra Prasad Singh said that he had informed the district education officer about the incident and will order a probe.

A few months ago, a lizard was found in the midday meal that angered students and their parents.

The midday meal scheme has reported widespread corruption as poor quality food is served to the children and government guidelines are ignored.