A CAR safety clinic was held recently to ensure youngsters throughout Inverclyde are secure when in a moving vehicle.

Representatives from Inverclyde Council's safer and inclusive communities service held the clinic at Morrisons in Greenock to advise shoppers on in-car child safety, as part of the Good Egg child safety programme.

Good Egg Safety carried out 1,827 child seat checks across Scotland in 2011 and found that almost half of all seats checked were either incorrectly fitted or incompatible with the car or the child.

In some cases children were not restrained at all.

The Greenock clinic gave parents information and advice on the vital importance of a correctly-fitted child restraint and showed them how to find the best seat for a child's weight, height and age.

Parents were also given the opportunity to have their existing car seats checked, to ensure that they are fitted correctly and appropriate for the child - 40 per cent of those checked required adjusting to allow a safer fit.

In addition to car safety, road safety officers were also on hand to provide advice on a range of other safety issues, along with representatives from trading standards and environmental health who gave advice on the dangers of blind cords and food safety.

Members of Inverclyde's community health care partnership also provided information on infant feeding and dental care as part of their Child Smile cam, education and communities convenor, Councillor Terry Loughran, said: "In-car child safety is extremely important as it can mean the difference between life and death.

"However, the legal requirements and wide range of restraints available can be confusing when trying to select the correct harness for your child.

"The Good Egg safety campaign and car seat clinics are an excellent way for parents to get advice and assistance with this process, ensuring their child is safe and sound when travelling on the roads."