BEAT the Street could help Swindon save £8.8m over the next five years, a new report claims.

But that is only if those who took part in the game keep exercising.

Run over six weeks last autumn, Beat the Street saw more than 31,000 people get outdoors last year in a bid to clock up points for their schools and community groups. It proved popular in less affluent areas like Park North and Walcot.

If the boost in activity levels are kept up over the next five years, it has been estimated that the savings to the public purse and the local economy could be £8.8m – as people spend fewer days off sick and use NHS services less frequently.

Councillors have welcomed the game’s success, but urged Swindon Borough Council to keep up the pressure to ensure activity rates do not slide.

Emma Bushell, ward councillor for Park North and Walcot, said: “Exercise is so important to both physical and mental health and we should be investing much more in making it easier for people to take part in sport and other activities.

“Beat the Street appears to have been embraced by Swindon residents and any initiative which encourages people to get more fresh air and exercise is good for Swindon.

“Most importantly, I would like to see what plans the council has to invest further in activities in the area to build on this scheme and promote active lifestyles.

“Due to cuts there is not a lot in the area and we are particularly lacking in facilities for our young people."

The game involved scores of boxes attached to lampposts and gates at roughly half-mile intervals. Players had to touch the boxes with a key fob or contactless card, walking , running or cycling to a second box within an hour to earn points.

Research by the organisation suggested that the game boosted people’s physical activity levels. Before the project started, 62 per cent of adults who signed up said they managed to do at least 150 minutes of physical exercise a week. That jumped to 76 per cent after Beat the Street. The proportion of completely physically inactive adults fell from 24 per cent pre-game to 13 per cent after it.

Surveys showed that five per cent of children who signed up to Beat the Street said they did no exercise before the six week project began. That fell to zero by the end of the scheme. Government scientists say adults should get 150 minutes of exercise a week. For children, it is 60 minutes a day. A fifth of Swindon 11-year-olds are obese.

Coun Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for health, said: “Beat the Street has been a fantastic success in Swindon.

“The aim of the game was to encourage people to get outdoors, exploring and enjoying their local community, and I am delighted to see that so many people got into the spirit.”