THE dangers of not wearing a seatbelt will be illustrated at two hard-hitting displays in Hartlepool next week.

A taxi which was involved in a crash is to be put on show in supermarkets to mark National Road Safety Week.

Two people in the taxi were seriously injured and the driver of the other car died.

Neither of the injured back seat passengers were wearing a seatbelt and Cleveland Police bought the taxi for use in its safety campaigns.

It will be displayed at Asda, on Marina Way, on Tuesday, and Tesco, in Burn Road, on Thursday, as part of an awareness-raising initiative involving Hartlepool Borough Council's road safety unit, Cleveland Police, Asda, Tesco and Hartlepool FM.

Paul Watson, the council's road safety officer, said they had decided to focus on the importance of wearing a seatbelts during the campaign.

He said: "We hope that by using the car as a visual aid more people will be made aware of the dangers of not wearing seatbelts.

"The vehicle is certainly a hard-hitting reminder of the possible consequences."