Trolley puts own back out, not yours

A new trolley unveiled today could take some of the pain out of shopping.

The Bender Ender looks like an ironing board and has a rubber shelf on top which sags as more products are placed on it.

The idea is to prevent shoppers having to bend over the edge of traditional wire trolleys to get to items at the bottom - a problem for some customers, particularly the elderly or people with back problems.

The Bender Ender can hold up to 140 litres of groceries - about 17 stone - which is less than the 212 litres of an old-style family-sized trolley.

However, Scottish trolley maker Buko said the design is cheaper than the £100 for a standard trolley and is more "shopper friendly".

The first Bender Enders are being tried out at two branches of Asda, in Hartlepool and Kirkcaldy.

John Irwin, customer services director at Asda, said: "Judging by the feedback we've had from the trials, the Bender Ender trolley could be just the things bad backs have been crying out for."