IT'S crunch time for primary school pupils in Burnley and Rossendale as health bosses have launched Apple Week to encourage them to eat more fruit.

The aim of the week-long scheme is to get youngsters to swap junk food for a healthy option by showing them different ways of introducing fruit into their diet.

Kitted out in T-shirts printed with apples on them, the juniors at Bacup Holy Trinity School in Stacksteads and pupils at Cherry Fold Community School in Burnley will be taking part in 'fruit awareness' activities.

The event has been organised by 5-A-Day community food worker Joanne Gibson, supported by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust.

The trust's 5-A-Day co-ordinator Alison McLaughlin said: "The children's activities will centre around apples, with each child tasting different types of apples and seeing and tasting the different forms that apples come in.

"This can include things such as apple juice, whole apples, dried apples, apple puree and tinned apple slices.

"Each child will choose which is their favourite form of apple and the class favourite will then be decided.

"There will also be games, such as making the longest apple peel.

"The apple day activities are a fun way of introducing the 5-A-Day fruit plan to the children.

"The two schools were chosen because they expressed an interest in the growing aspect of 5-A-Day. They are keen to plant fruit trees and bushes in the school grounds, and for that reason it was decided that the special apple day would be celebrated."