A campaign aimed at improving the reading ability of hundreds of children in Leicestershire is half-way to reaching its goal.

The Leicester Mercury-backed campaign, Right to Read, aims to match 400 employee volunteers with 40 schools by January.

The paper asked firms to allow staff to give an hour a week of their work time to listen to children read in schools for a minimum of 12 weeks.

So far about 200 people have come forward to offer their services from 16 companies including Boots, HSBC, NatWest and Walkers Snack Foods, which has also donated 10,000 children's books to the scheme.

Volunteers will go into classrooms to help youngsters with their reading, and experts say such schemes can significantly boost a child's reading age.

Mercury business editor Paul Grinnell, said: "Ensuring our children have all the right skills to allow them to play a full part in community life is one of our most important duties."

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