The Chippenham Pit Stop team is running a blood pressure awareness poster campaign.

Staff are hoping to make a big success of the UK Blood Pressure Campaign’s Know Your Numbers Week despite the pandemic.

Under normal circumstance, they would be inviting Wiltshire health trainers to set up a walk-in blood pressure testing station for their trucker and surrounding village customers.

But since this will not be possible from September 7 to 13, the Pit Stop will be doing a poster campaign for the whole month and displaying blood pressure monitors for sale in its Draycott Community Stores

Pit Stop health campaigns coordinator Lisa Hatherell said: "Spending long hours behind a wheel all day and every day was not conducive to a healthy life style so it's really important that truckers were aware of their blood pressure.

"Everyone needs to know their numbers, because high blood pressure caused 60 per cent of preventable strokes and was three time more likely to cause heart disease.

"Besides that, high blood pressure contributed to half of all heart attacks in the UK and was the biggest cause of chronic kidney disease."

The Pit Stop has just launched its own online shop to help truckers working through the pandemic.

Director Hannah Hatherell said hundreds of drivers a week now called at the stop just off Junction 17 of the M4 in Wiltshire and many took advantage of stocking up on cab comforts and necessities.

“So, we have launched our online service in order to carry a much wider range of items from clothing and electronic accessories through to cooking, cooling and special cleaning products,” she said.

“Sometimes drivers, who have enjoyed our quality standard of service over many years, get switched to other routes so this new service found at www.chippenhampitstop.com/shop means they can still go on supporting us,” said Hannah.