POSTERS telling people the walking distance to a town centre are being put up as part of a council campaign.

North Yorkshire County Council is running WalkWise, the first project of its kind in Britain.

It aims to provide people with information on how long it should take to walk to the town centre, to encourage them to leave their cars at home.

The project is being piloted in Thirsk and Sowerby, and if it is a success, it could be introduced across the county.

Leaflets and maps are to be delivered to all households to reinforce the message, and there will be temporary stickers on pavements and posters at key points. These will indicate the five, ten and 15- minute walk zones to let people know how far they are from the town centre.

Coun Clare Wood, executive member for environmental services, said: "Although you may think you know how long it would take to walk into town, research shows that people consistently over-estimate how long it actually does. Conversely they look on car journeys with decidedly rose-coloured glasses - particularly the time it takes to get parked up.

"The truth is, for the majority of journeys that start and finish in Thirsk, walking could be quicker from door to door. We want more people walking, and using local shops and services."