YOUNGSTERS have become the first in the country to receive free cycle helmets thanks to a pioneering project.

Funding from the Teesside Health Action Zone allowed Mike Hall, road safety officer for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, to hand out the helmets as part of its pedestrian and cycle training programme.

Pupils from Riverdale Primary School, Redcar, became the first to benefit from the helmets as they began training last week. The school course involves four two-hour sessions, covering roadside pedestrian training and cycle training.

The £4,000 grant will buy 400 helmets in a deal with Guisborough cycle shop Bikescene.