SCORES of families are eating much more healthily in two villages since a scheme was launched to supply them with weekly packs of fruit, vegetables and salads.

The fresh produce is sold for £2 a bag through a community co-operative project at Cockfield and Evenwood, near Barnard Castle, County Durham. There are hopes that similar systems will be started in Easington, Bishop Auckland and Barnard Castle.

Bryan Thistlewaite, of the Rural Regeneration Unit, which has helped to develop the project, said: "We would love to spread it to these places and others, and will do so if we can get some extra funding. It is proving a huge success so far and is helping many families to eat more healthily.

"We would also like to start some special gardens in schools so children can see crops growing before they eat them."

Families can buy as many of the bags as they wish under the not-for-profit plan, which is backed by Durham Rural Community Council and run by volunteers.

Julie Ferry, who takes orders for the Cockfield produce, said: "I know of families in which the children are now regularly asking for fruit instead of sweets, and many are now using more fresh vegetables than before."

At Cockfield, where the produce is handed out at the community centre on Fridays, it was hoped to sell 40 bags a week when the scheme started in March. But it is now averaging more than 150 a week.