A GOVERNMENT official visiting the region on a fact-finding mission has revealed plans to get the nation's children eating more healthily, including giving youngsters free fruit.

Kerry Price, a Department of Health project officer, was in Darlington to check on the progress of a scheme to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables.

The Five-A-Day scheme, covering Darlington, Teesdale and Weardale, involves retailers, schools and farmers.

It is one of five pilot schemes being operated in England.

Ms Price said the lessons learned from the North-East pilot scheme would be applied as part of a national drive to promote healthy eating.

"We are currently setting up a national programme to promote the message that five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day can help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease," said Ms Price.

She said the scheme aimed at reproducing the success of a similar initiative in America.

One of the proposed pilot schemes will involve giving children free fruit, she confirmed.

"Children often say they hate fruit and vegetables before they try them," said Ms Price.

She described the Darlington scheme, which involves retailers promoting the best value seasonal fruit and vegetables available, as "fantastic".

Four hundred children from Whinfield Junior School watched former Ritz Hotel chef Noel Goulding prepare quick and nutritious meals using fruit and vegetables at the Asda supermarket, in Whinbush Way, Whinfield, Darlington.

Mr Goulding, who is Asda's roving chef-entertainer, said: "I did stir-fry because I wanted to prove to them that they could do tonight's tea and feed a family of four with healthy, nutritious and inexpensive food."

Scheme coordinator Joanne Coady, from County Durham and Darlington Health Authority, said a farmer's market to promote healthy food would be held in Darlington Market Square, next Friday