Members of the district council have agreed to support an idea put forward by the Warwick Chamber of Trade to try and phase out the single-use carrier bag.

Such bags would be replaced with re-usable and sustainable cotton or jute bags, which cost £1.80 each, in shops in and around Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth.

But for some businesses, making the change may not be easy.

Tim Cole is assistant manager at Cardfair in the Parade.

He said: "It would be difficult - it definitely would not work here.

"It is company policy for us to ask people if they want a bag first, but every customer takes one because they want to keep their cards from getting bent. We could use paper bags but they're not re-usable."

Mukhtyar Narle, manager at the Depot in the Parade, said: "We ask customers every time if they want one - and eight times out of ten they do. That said, I think it's a good idea. I would'nt mind spending money on re-usable cotton or jute bags."

Warwick Chamber of Trade member David Way is also partner at Present Days in Swan Street, Warwick, where staff have managed to dramatically reduce the use of plastic bags.

He said: "The district's support is encouraging, and I hope it encourages other businesses to make changes.

"People need to become aware of the facts - it's a question of letting customers look at the alternatives.

"I think it's going to be difficult and it will have to be a voluntary thing because Warwick district is too large an area to enforce."

Coun Bill Gifford (Lib Dem, Leamington Milverton), chairman of the district council's 'plastic bag working party', added: "There is already a shift in public thinking, even compared to a year ago.

"People are much more willing to take bags with them to the supermarket."

The district council is currently consulting Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick town centre managements, as well as from shops and businesses around the district, before a plan is put into place.

Anyone interested in finding out more about Warwick Chamber of Trade's 'no to plastic bags' campaign, should email: info@warwickchamberoftrade.co.uk