Our offices in Stamford and Oakham and our sister title The Local's office in Bourne had a steady stream of people who carried off the trendy reusable bags last Friday.

We teamed up with Inspiro Bags UK, of Owston on the Rutland border, to give away 1,000 bags as part of our campaign to encourage readers to do more for the environ-ment. Most of them of have already gone, but there are few left.

One reader who came in to pick up one of the blue or pink bags was Caroline Richardson, 19, on behalf of her mum, Joan.

Caroline, of Queen's Walk, Stamford, said: "It is a really good idea to give away the bags and I personally hate the giving out of plastic bags. I use these all the time."

The company is run by Maria Grundy and Saya Sheridan who were delighted with the response from Mercury readers.

Maria, 37, of Heron Road, Oakham, said: "We are really pleased. It has been heart warming to hear people turned up and got their reusable bags and I think it will be quite exciting to see people walking around Rutland and the surro-unding area with their bags.

"The giveaway and all the other things that are happe-ning will put out the message that this is something that won't go away and will be part of people's lives to reuse bags."

The giveaway excited interest in the company from mail order clothing firm Lands' End in Oakham, and a scheme in the Deepings which is looking into making the town a plastic bag free zone.