'£27 million worth of 5p plastic bags stolen since October'

Almost £27 million worth of plastic bags are claimed to have been stolen in England since the 5p levy was introduced last year, research has found.

Half of English shoppers have admitted to stealing an average of three bags a month at the self-checkouts, a new survey has revealed.

That adds up to 533 million carrier bags stolen since October.

Since the government charge on plastic bags was introduced in England the usage of plastic bags has dropped by 80 per cent.

The study, by VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, asked 2,784 people about their plastic bag habits, finding 51 percent admitted to stealing bags.

Many believed the charge was a waste of money and 22 per cent said they took bags because no one noticed.