Cash handout for corner shops that sell more fruit and veg

The Department of Health hopes the cash will persuade local convenience stores in England to sell more healthy food - especially to the less well-off.

A total of £200,000 will be provided this year and £300,000 in each of the following two years.

Fresh idea: The cash will be used to persuade convenience shoppers to buy more healthy food

This could be used for new shelving, chiller cabinets and promotional information.

Shopkeepers will not be told to stop selling unhealthy snacks like sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks, but they will be expected to make room for fruit and veg promotions.

Stores will be offered advice to help them 'maximise profits and minimise waste'.

The project starts this autumn in the North-East, where average health has been shown to be poorer than in many other parts of the country. It is hoped that 120 stores will be on board by next May.

Research has shown that people on lower incomes eat less fruit and veg than other social classes.

Today's announcement comes after the success of a similar scheme in Scotland, which started with 10 stores and now involves more than 500.

Surveys show nearby residents were eating more fruit and vegetables and were now using their local shop in preference to bigger supermarkets.

Health Minister Ivan Lewis said: 'We know that families in some communities still use the corner shop on a daily basis for their food and other household goods.

'It is therefore essential we take healthy eating options to these stores and reach those families who are at the greatest risk of poor health due to a poor diet.'

Health chiefs are working with the Association of Convenience Stores and the major chains to launch the project, part of Change4Life, a government scheme that coordinates initiatives aimed at boosting healthier living.

Obesity causes 9,000 premature deaths each year and costs the NHS £4.2 billion and the economy £16 billion annually.

Figures show that two thirds of adults and a third of children are either overweight or obese in the UK.

Experts warn that the proportion could rise to almost nine in 10 adults and two thirds of children by 2050, putting them at serious risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.