THE county town of North Yorkshire is to lead the country in a groundbreaking national health and safety initiative.

Northallerton is to host to the first Safer Working Towns campaign - aimed at making the workplace safer than ever.

Spearheaded by the Health and Safety Executive, it will eventually see local authorities across the country working to create a detailed workplace health and safety record.

The week-long Northallerton campaign, organised by Hambleton District Council, will give local businesses and their staff a chance to access services and information from a wide range of agencies.

It will run from Monday until November 4 and will bring together representatives from a organisations such as health groups, emergency services, unions and the water company.

Each group will offer advice and run safety events for their own staff, as well as giving them the opportunity to take part in the town events.

Eric Kendall, of Hambleton council, said: "This is the first event of its kind in the country and will provide a unique opportunity for the local working population to benefit from the advice and guidance of the Health and Safety Executive and our environmental health team.

"We hope as many local businesses as possible, whatever their size, will allow their staff to come along. We want to create the best and safest working environment for the people in Hambleton and this initiative will go a long way towards doing just that."

A programme of events can be found on www.hambleton. gov.uk or by calling (01609) 767057