A new initiative aimed at helping to keep Reading's young newspaper boys and girls safe as they make their deliveries has been launched by the Council. Leaflets are being delivered to every newsagent in the town reminding them of their responsibilities.

Newsagents must ensure the health and safety of their employees and carry out a risk assessment of all foreseeable risks. The newsagent must check each day that the paperperson is wearing a cycle helmet, their cycle is road worthy and has working lights before letting them out. To avoid strain a maximum of ten newspapers is permitted to be carried at any one time. The newsagent is responsible for paying all fines incurred by the deliverer for riding on pavements and other traffic violations. A tachograph must be fitted to all cycles. A minder must accompany all delivery rounds and be equiped with a full first aid kit and a baseball bat in case of emergencies. Deliveries down Oxford Road are not permitted under any circumstances by anyone under the age of 21.

Steve Waite, Lead Councillor for Environment at Reading Borough Council, said: "This is an extremely important initiative. Many of us start out on the road to independence and our first earned income by the traditional paper round, but it is essential that we take these simple steps to ensure our youngsters' safety."