Fruit boost for council workers

It is hoped that the fruit will become a replacement for less healthy snacks

Free fruit will be given to staff in Durham County Council in a bid to boost wellbeing and reduce sick days.

For the next six months, 500 employees will take part in the study, the first of its kind in the UK.

Half the participants will receive two free pieces of fruit a day while the control group will initially continue with their normal diet.

Weight, blood pressure and overall productivity will be measured by researchers at Newcastle University.

Professor Chris Seal, of Newcastle University, who is leading the study, said: "We all know how much fruit and vegetables we should be eating a day but many of us still don't do it.

"When you ask people why they don't, the two most common answers are cost and availability. This initiative overcomes both these problems.

"The idea is that if people have easy access to, say, an apple or banana, then fruit will replace the less healthy snacks which so many of us reach for when we take a coffee break."