A MAJOR effort is being launched to get a simple but effective life-saving scheme operating in many more households across the region.

Members of the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership, who promote the Message in a Bottle sccheme, are taking to the road this summer to get more people to sign up.

So far more than 3,000 residents have got their bottles but members of the partnership want all homes to have them.

The scheme encourages householders to place emergency information inside a special container which is then stored in their fridge for safekeeping.

The small, clearly labelled, waterproof bottle contains a sheet of information - contact numbers for next of kin and doctors, drug information, long-term medical conditions and allergies as well as general facts such as the time children must be collected from school or nursery.

A special label is then placed on both the fridge and the house door to alert the emergency services to its presence.

The partnership's roadshow will be at Stokesley, outside Safeway, on Friday from 10am until 3pm. It then moves on to Thirsk, outside Tesco, on Monday from 10am until 3pm, and is at Bedale Market Place next Tuesday from 9am until 2pm.

Joining the roadshw will be officers from North Yorkshire Police, the fire and rescue service, Age Concern and the trading standards department.

They will be handing out advice on everything from crime prevention and traffic congestion to fire safety, bogus callers and pension credits.

The fire service will also, if necessary, arrange home visits to carry out risk assessments and fit fire alarms.

Partnership officer Sgt Matt France said: "This initiative provides us with a great opportunity to get out to the people who live in the market towns of Hambleton.

"It will give them a chance to speak to community police officers and tell us what we can do to help improve the quality of their lives."

People who wish to join the Message in a Bottle scheme should contact Christine Carr on (01609) 771327 if they live in the Northallerton area or John Lancaster on (01347) 838266 if they live in the Easingwold area.

For the rest of the district please telephone Alison Oldfield on (01609) 767243.