School children in London are to get a free piece of fruit every day under a new scheme funded by the national lottery.

The programme, which was first introduced in the West Midlands, will begin in London schools at the start of the autumn term.

It is believed that eating fruit could help to prevent various diseases but a recent survey showed that fruit is often ignored in many children's diets.

The government believes the scheme could potentially benefit 300,000 children in 1,700 primary schools throughout the capital.

It is the government's plan that the National School Fruit Scheme, will give all four to six year olds in infant schools a free piece of fruit each school day by 2004.

The current project - the �42m School Fruit Pilot - is funded by the New Opportunites Fund.