A PILOT scheme that taught hundreds of the region's children to swim, is to be rolled out nationally.

One in five children reaches the age of 11 without being able to swim.

But the pilots in County Durham and Bristol, involving 4,000 children, have shown a marked increase in the numbers of children being able to swim.

Held over two weeks close to the end of the summer term, the scheme involved pupils attending a pool every day for a half-hour lesson.

Overall, 57 per cent of the pupils who had previously not reached the key stage two standard (age 11) achieved this by the end of the scheme.

This meant 92 per cent of children could swim compared to the national average of 80 per cent.

The Government yesterday unveiled proposals for the scheme to be extended nationally.

Extra intensive swimming lessons would be introduced for all those who fail to swim 25 metres by the end of key stage two.

The £5.5m "top-up" scheme would initially run from next year to 2008, but could be extended to form a key part of the Government's strategy to ensure all children will be offered at least four hours of sport every week by 2010.