The musician responsible for the basslines on such hits as Girls And Boys and Song 2 has said on a recent visit to the town he 'couldn't find anywhere that wasn't serving fried, fast or fattening food'.

The 41-year-old, who in recent years has turned his hand to cheese-farming, also laments in The Observer's latest Food Monthly supplement that the county's praiseworthy agriculture is not reflected in the town's population.

"Soil and agriculture don't get any better anywhere in the world than in Lincolnshire. People in Boston could be eating better than ever before, but it seems a place disconnected from the land that surrounds it."

In the column, James writes of a 'king-sized unholy fat storm' and then uses Boston to hit home his argument, referencing reports that one in three people are obese, before speaking of his unhappy search for a healthy place to eat.

He added: "I ended up eating Thai. It was truly awful. And I suppose that's the worst thing of all. No one gets obese from eating nice food."

Boston Borough Council defended the town in the wake of the comments.

A spokesman said: "There are a lot of restaurants in Boston serving healthy, nutritious and locally-produced food. Many of them have also received excellent Food Safety Awards from this council for their levels of food safey and hygiene."

The council also pointed to market stallholders' use of locally-produced vegetables and salad crops as well, rise in allotment use and sport participation.