SHOP staff have joined a safe children's scheme to alleviate parents' fears when they are separated in the store.

Employees of Asda, in Billingham have visited Pentland Primary School in the town to give the youngsters advice on what to do if they get lost.

The Safe Child scheme was the idea of a community police officer in the West Midlands and pilot schemes have shown that it reduces the traumatic time families are split up when children get lost.

As part of the scheme all the exits in the Asda store are secured when a child is lost and workers carry out a search of the aisles.

The advice that is given to children who might get lost includes stopping and standing still to look round for their family and going to a cash till to tell staff they are lost.

Children are advised against telling anyone else in the store that they are lost.

Nationally Asda has won an award for the most parent-friendly store in the UK, in a competition run by toy-makers Tommy