A POTENTIAL life-saver is spreading across North Yorkshire.

The message-in-a-bottle scheme is designed to allow doctors and 999 teams to discover immediately any information they need to know should an emergency arise at someone's home.

It is already established in the Hambleton area of the county and yesterday Age Concern launched a further scheme in the Richmondshire area.

Watertight plastic bottles will be issued into which residents place information that could be a boon to rescue personnel should there be a fire or other such incident. That includes names and contact numbers, illnesses and allergies, medication and the like.

The bottle is then placed in the fridge and stickers are placed on the front door and the fridge door to let emergency personnel know it is there.

Age Concern rural development officer Gill Davies said: "This idea first started in Australia and it is now catching on all over the world."

To find out more. call Age Concern on (01609) 771624.