A SUPERMARKET is hoping to revive the great British cuppa and tired parents with tea hit squads.

The English are renowned for their love affair with tea, but according to the latest National Food Survey, published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff), the popularity of the beverage is in decline.

In a bid to revive the tea drinking tradition, the Tea Council has organised National Tea Week, which starts today.

The Co-op is backing the event by sending out tea hit squads to schools, to provide parents with a cup of tea, while they wait at the school gates. Tomorrow, they will be at Crook Primary School and St Catherine's Primary School, in Crook, County Durham.

On Wednesday the hit squads will visit the Church of England School, Richmond, and Wavell School, Catterick Garrison, both North Yorkshire, and on Thursday they will visit Shildon County Primary School and the Timothy Hackworth School, also Shildon, County Durham

A Co-op spokeswoman said: "It's an unusual way of encouraging people to try tea and start drinking it. The squads will be going out with big thermos flasks of tea on their backs dispensing tea."

The Tea Council aims to highlight the health benefits of tea, such as its antioxidant properties.