Today (October 5th) England introduced charges for plastic bags, in a bid to protect wildlife and reduce littering on the streets.

Charges for shopping bags have already been employed in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; England is the last nation in the UK to adopt these charges.

Shoppers at all big stores will need to pay 5p for every bag provided at the tills, in the hope that most consumers will remember to bring their own, instead of asking for a new bag, each time they shop.

Last year, more than 7.6 billion plastic bags were handed out by major supermarkets alone - the equivalent of 140 per person.