Schoolchildren in Liverpool are being encouraged to put their money into fruit machines; all in the name of healthy eating.

Fruit vending machines have been introduced in seven secondary schools in the last few weeks, and they are proving massively popular.

Schools are asking for their machines to be re-filled three times a day as the fruit is selling out within hours of being stocked up. In one week alone, pupils at the Academy of St. Francis of Assisi bought: 275 portions of grapes; 43 bananas; 34 apples; and 25 satsumas, as well as strawberries, plums and oranges, is also being snapped up in Notre Dame Catholic High where the stocks are replenished twice a day.

The introduction of the vending machines is part of a £2 million city-wide initiative to promote healthy eating by the city council and Liverpool Primary Care Trust (PCT).

Councillor Warren Bradley, leader of the city council said: "It's fantastic news that the fruit is proving so popular. It’s essential we as a council do everything we can to get children thinking differently about food and making it as easy as possibly for them to make a healthy choice when it comes to their diet.

"It makes sense to have nutritious vending machines and the results so far certainly show this has been a successful and pupils are grabbing the opportunity to become healthier."

Liverpool PCT has invested £1m in the overall scheme.

Dr Paula Grey, Director of Public Health for Liverpool PCT added: "It is estimated that there are already 13,000 obese children in Liverpool so initiatives like the healthy vending machines are vital if we are to break the negative cycles of unhealthy living.

"Making fruit accessible to young people from an early age helps them to develop positive eating habits and providing it in a school environment is ensuring they have the maximum opportunity of eating the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day."

The academy's health care co-ordinator, Elaine Shillcock, said: "Not only are there the obvious health benefits, but cutting out the junk food means that the children's concentrations levels are improved, they're much calmer in lessons and because the fruit isn't packaged up as much, litter on the school premises has drastically reduced.

"And, despite the success of the fruit vending machines, there hasn't been any negative effect on the sale of healthy food and fruit in our canteen, and so our pupils are making the most of every opportunity they have to eat healthily."

By the end of this month, 27 schools will have the machines installed, with supplies coming from JD Fruits using local produce from Edge Lane Fruit Market.

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