Every year millions of plastic bags are given away in this country, and only a small percentage of these bags are ever used again.

Most of the plastic bags seen lying around on the roadside, or stuck in hedgerows have not been thrown out of passing cars, but have been blown from landfill sites after been dumped there from refuge trucks.

The only way to stop the sight of these blots on the landscape, and prevent damage to wildlife is to reduce the amount of lightweight plastic bags going to landfill.

The most effective way to achieve this is to stop issuing large amounts of free plastic bags at tills and checkouts.

Oxfam and the Co-op have backed the campaign by stating that when their present supplies of plastic bags are exhausted they won't be issuing any more. These companies deserve support for these actions, and it's not as if there are no alternatives.

Paper bags, cotton bags, the old- fashioned shopping bags and trolleys to name but a few, prams and pushchairs have been used to carry home provisions as long as I can remember.

Come on shopkeepers and traders in Pocklington follow the lead set by Oxfam and Co-op and stop using plastic bags, lets make Pocklington the first plastic bag free town in the East Riding.

Yours sincerely
Richard Bryon
Springfield Road
Pocklington