Vulnerable Melton people are urged to leave message in a bottle

Special bottles are being handed out at the town police station for residents to take home and put important personal medical details inside.

Those who take part are encouraged to put the bottles in their fridge so that emergency first responders can quickly access potentially crucial information about any illnesses or conditions they suffer from.

The initiative was piloted in the Oadby and Wigston area and proved so successful it is now being adopted in Melton and other county districts.

Inspector Mike Cawley, of Leicestershire Police, said: “This is a simple idea to encourage everyone to keep their personal and medical details on a standard form in a common location, the fridge.

“We work very closely with Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and I’m really grateful to them and the local Lions Club for their support in getting this scheme rolled out across the whole force.

“This scheme can save lives so I’d urge people to pick up a bottle and fill in the form.”

The project, which also requires participants to display special yellow stickers on the inside of their front door and on their fridge door, combines two existing schemes.

One is The Herbert Protocol, a national initiative adopted by some police forces which encourages family, friends and carers to put together useful information which can then be used if a person with dementia goes missing. It contains vital information, such as medication required, mobile numbers and places previously visited.

The other is The Lions’ ‘Message in a Bottle’ scheme, which urges people to keep personal and medical details on a standard form in a common location, such as a fridge. Those with life-threatening allergies have also benefited from this project.

Anyone in Melton who wants one is asked to visit the police station on King Street.

Local beat teams will also be distributing them to care homes in the borough.