HIRED car drivers are being invited to pick up a poem and take it for a spin when they collect the keys to their vehicle.

The new 'test drive a poem' scheme, backed by Cumbria County Council, is designed to bring poetic verse to a wider audience.

Drivers collecting cars from rental firms across the region will find copies of works by contemporary Cumbrian poets Vali Stanley, Richard Hazlehurst and Derek Atkinson on the passenger seats.

Car rental firms behind the promotion include Avis in Barrow, Bowness, Carlisle and Kendal, Ford Rent-a-car in Ulverston, and Europcar in Carlisle.