Morrisons is to remove sweets from its main-bank checkouts and replace them with fruit.

The move, which will be in full effect by February 2016, comes after the retailer sought the view of its customers.

Nuts and bottled water will also be offered in place of sweets, alongside fruit. Morrisons already offers alternatives to sweets at one in five of its supermarket checkouts.

To make sure the confectionery is replaced with items that customers want to buy, Morrisons is initially running a trial at ten stores across the country, where checkouts will be stocked with the new snacks, as well as magazines and bags for life.

David Potts, CEO at Morrisons, said: “We have been listening to parents and guardians who have told us that sweets on checkouts can sometimes lead to pestering from their children. This change will make the trip through the checkout easier and less stressful.”

Bryonie Hollaert,Morrisons' company nutritionist, said: “We are doing what we can to help customers choose healthier foods. As well as taking chocolate away from checkouts, we are also removing sugar and salt from other food and drink products. Last year alone we removed nearly one billion calories and over 38million teaspoons of sugar from our soft drinks.”