The New Opportunities Fund (NOF) expanded the National School Fruit Scheme this week when it rolled the initiative out to four-to-six year-olds in north-east England.

More than 103,000 pupils will receive a piece of fruit free every day through the £42million scheme which is funded by national lottery distributor NOF.

The pupils will join the scheme in two waves with 92,000 pupils receiving free fruit this week and a further 11,000 joining on April 26.

The north-east is the fifth and final area of England to join the pilot programme for the scheme which will be rolled out nation-wide following January's announcement by government that it will pour a further £77m into the initiative.

Redbridge will be supplying 950 schools in the region from its Gateshead branch. The company already supplies to schools in the West Midlands and north-west England. The scheme is also running in the East Midlands and London.