Foster carers on Merseyside are being given free cars.

The aim is to help fostered siblings stay together in one family and to encourage other people to consider becoming foster parents.

The first nine families to benefit from the Mitsubishi Spacewagon people carriers look after 30 children between them.

Councillor Ron Gould, the executive member for supported living at Liverpool City Council, said: "We want to do everything we can to make life easier for foster carers.

"They do an excellent job and it's not always easy looking after large families.

Home extensions

"Of course the more children who can be looked after within families, rather than in residential homes, the better it is both for us and them."

There are 750 foster children in the Liverpool City Council area.

Financial help for home extensions is already on offer to help foster carers take on more children.

Free training up to NVQ level and a telephone helpline is also availalable.

Claire Norman, spokeswoman for Liverpool City Council, told BBC News Online: "We are always trying to encourage people to take on sibling groups.

"But a lot of them have their own children as well."