Vital health and council messages will be featured on postboxes and postal vans across North Shropshire as part of a revolutionary new scheme being launched in the district.

Services such as the police, NHS and local authorities across the UK could soon be using letter boxes and postal vans to get important messages across to the public if the trial scheme in the district proves to be a success.

Public Messenger is a joint initiative designed to increase communication levels between local authorities and emergency services, while making the most of Post Office’s resources.

It will be launched in the district tomorrow, with hundreds of posters praising low crime rates adorning the walls of post office branches, letter boxes and postal vans.

Kevin Seller, Post Office’s head of Government services, said: “We are really pleased North Shropshire District Council has been able to take part in our Public Messenger pilot exercise.

“There has been a huge effort behind the scenes in Post Office over the past six months to get this project up and running.

“Public Messenger has been well received by local authorities and this pilot with NSDC, in one of the most sparsely populated areas in the country, will really help us to understand how effective Public Messenger is.”

The first poster campaign being launched is designed to remind residents they live in one of the lowest crime areas in the country and to encourage people to help keep it that way.