PARENTS can get a free child car seat fitting next month.

Wiltshire and Swindon councils will run three events across the county in March. Parents and carers can get a seat fitted or checked by police officers and firefighters.

Coun Bridget Wayman of Wiltshire Council said: "It's so important that car seats are fitted correctly, and that people check their vehicle handbook and the seat manufacturer's guidance to keep their children safe.

"Statistics show that children are more likely to be killed or seriously injured as vehicle passengers than as any type of other road user, so it is vital that people use the correct car seat to keep children safe.

"These free roadshows are a great way to get your car seats checked to ensure they're safely fitted, to give you piece of mind when on the road."

The events will be held at Devizes fire station on Monday, March 2, Salisbury fire station on Tuesday, March 3 and the County Ground car park in Swindon on Wednesday, March 18.

Legally, all children travelling in a car must sit in an age-appropriate child seat. Under-3s must use a correct child seat in the front or back of the car, children aged 3-12 or under 135cm tall must use a correct car seat in the front and in the back where a seatbelt is fitted and children aged over 12 or more than 135cm tall must use a vehicle seatbelt.