On the cut-out coupon readers said they would do their best to use fewer plastic bags in future and at a special town event on Saturday representatives from Leicestershire County Council manned a trailer outside the town hall where they swapped the Mail pledges for a re-usable bag.

Representatives from Lutterworth Town Council also manned an exhibition in the town hall to give people more information about the environmental benefits of using fewer bags.

The Lutterworth Mail had teamed up with organisers to offer the pledge forms and the exhibition featured a number of articles from the newspaper.

Lutterworth town clerk Hannah Gupwell said 317 people had signed pledge forms and been given a free re-useable bag.

She added: “We also had ten people sign up to become part of the steering group which will work at getting the campaign moving further forward.

“They are having a meeting in the near future to decide what the next move will be.”

Lutterworth town mayor John Turner was one of the councillors manning the exhibition stand in the town hall.

He said: “From our point of view it was a very successful morning and there was a steady flow of people coming into the town hall for more information.

“What was most encouraging was that people were really supportive of what was happening and about trying to recycle more.

“I’m also very pleased that so many people signed up to become part of the steering group because although the town council is a catalyst for this movement, we really want it to become something the people of the town can get behind.”

l Stay with the Lutterworth Mail for more information about the steering group’s meetings and the future of the campaign.