The Leicester Mercury is joining forces with Age Concern to launch a Don't Let Them Die campaign - to try to help lower the number of elderly deaths that occur every winter.

With freezing winter weather, the newspaper is urging its readers to be caring towards any elderly people they might know in the hope of preventing unnecessary deaths.

John Scruton, executive director of the city's Age Concern said: "I would urge neighbours to be aware of the elderly around them during the cold spell and make sure any older neighbours are kept warm."

And the Mercury editorial told readers: "A ten-minute phone call or a visit to an elderly neighbour or relative could save a life this winter. It is an obvious thing to do, but how many of us can say it is something we've always done?"

Some simple guidelines have been printed in the paper on how to beat the cold in the hope that it may save some lives over the winter period.

These include wearing several thin layers of clothing rather than one thick layer, taking plenty of hot drinks and moving around as much as possible.

Last year more than 400 people died in Leicestershire from illnesses brought on by the cold.

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