A SUPERMARKET in Basingstoke will be giving away fruit in a bid to help children get their five-a-day and prevent wastage.

Morrisons Basingstoke will be handing out free fruit to children in its Thornycroft Industrial Estate store, to help young people get their five-a-day, and to make the shopping trip easier for parents.

The Free Fruit for Kids scheme will mean that this fruit does not go to waste. Every week, Morrisons expects to give away 40,000 pieces of fruit that is within its ‘sell by’ window but is at risk of not being sold.

The fruit will include bananas, apples, pears, sweet clementines and satsumas, and will be offered in the store’s entrance.

The fruit will be located on a wooden stand at the front of Morrisons greengrocery area. Every morning Morrisons Basingstoke’s greengrocers will replenish the free fruit stand with produce that otherwise has a chance of being binned.

The children can help themselves to the fruit as they shop with their parents.

Store manager at Morrisons Basingstoke, Ian Daley, said: “Sometimes our store is left with unsold fruit and customers would prefer us to find a use for it.

“So we’re putting out fruit - that’s at risk of not being sold - for children to help themselves. It’s healthy for them, reduces food waste in our store and will help make shopping easier for parents.”