An East Anglian Daily Times investigation has revealed low levels of investment in school sports equipment.

A two-month investigation by Archant Suffolk reporter Mark Bulstrode revealed dozens of Suffolk schools spent less than £1 per pupil on PE equipment in the last two years - enough to buy each youngster a shuttlecock.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, the EADT asked each school to reveal how much it spent on PE equipment between 2004 and 2006.

A total of 279 schools, attended by about 88,500 of the 100,000 pupils in Suffolk, responded, revealing major fluctuations in investment around the county.

Mark's research revealed that an average of £8.50 per pupil has been spent on PE equipment in the last year, compared to around £90 a head on computers and information technology.

After the paper revealed its findings, Karen Pickering, sporting ambassador for Ipswich, described the level of investment as "shocking", while an anti-obesity organisation described it as "outrageous".