ABOUT a quarter of children aged under 16 in Swindon come from families reliant on means-tested benefit, research shows.

The national board of the Health Development Agency met in Bristol to hear about child poverty in the South West.

They heard that in Swindon, there are 38,100 children aged under 16 and of those 9,942 youngsters live in families reliant on benefit some 26 per cent.

In the region the percentage of children in means-tested benefit families varies from 10.9 per cent in the Isles of Scilly to 50.42 per cent in Penwith, Cornwall.

Maggie Rae, regional head of the HDA, said: "The research is a great opportunity for us to highlight the issue of child poverty. It is tragic that one of the most vulnerable groups in society can suffer such hardship but public health professionals in the South West are working with colleagues from other sectors including education and neighbourhood renewal to find ways to tackle the problem."

Dr Gabriel Scally, regional director of Public Health for the South West, said: "Our meeting should help to build a greater understanding of national developments and how the South West can lead and contribute to new areas of public health work to benefit children."

The Sure Start programme to increase opportunities for disadvantaged young children will reach one third of all under fours living in poverty by 2004.

School have been identified as a key position to improve children's health through initiatives like the National School Fruit Scheme, which will entitle all children aged four to six a free piece of fruit on each school day.