A PLASTIC bag free High Wycombe town centre may be coming a step closer - a petition calling for their ban has been handed to the Eden Centre boss, writes Hannah Williams.

Frances Alexander, a trustee of the Environment Centre in Holywell Mead, High Wycombe, yesterday presented Eden Centre director Daniel Tomkinson with more than 1,000 signatures.

Earlier this month Wycombe Friends of the Earth and the Environment Centre teamed up to launch a campaign to ask businesses moving into the centre's shops to use friendly' alternatives. The shops are due to open next spring.

Frances Alexander said: "We've had well over 1,800 names in a couple of weeks. We only had four people say no'. A number of people grabbed the petition from my hand and signed it. Now we have started, London boroughs would like to ban them, but this has to go through parliament first, I believe.

"We really have got to take stock of what we are doing. Fish and birds are dying from pecking plastic bags and thinking it's food.

"I wanted this petition to go in very soon when they are planning the stores and to say please can they plan to get paper bags rather than plastic bags? It's a bit much to say on the day they open, but in this way it's in advance.

"It would make international news if it was a plastic bag-free centre."

This comes as news that Marks & Spencer has launched a five pence charge for carrier bags in 33 of its stores in the south-west of England. If the trial is successful, the retailer, which is moving to the new centre, says it will introduce the scheme throughout the country.

Sam Clements, Wycombe Friends of the Earth spokesman, said: "Anything that promotes the re-use of plastic or cloth, jute or paper bags, means lower energy demand and lower CO2 emissions - and that's a good thing.

"It would be interesting to hear when Marks & Spencer plans to replace plastic bags altogether.

"Before they move into the Eden Centre, we would welcome any discussions with the branch about their new environmental policies."

Daniel Tomkinson said the petition represented the strength of local opinion and he understood the enthusiasm of the environmental organisations.

"However, an initiative of this magnitude demands a real team effort. It will require the facilitation between centre management, store managers, head offices and supply chains of all 106 retail businesses. The majority of store managers are likely to be appointed between now and January and I will make sure that the next stage is to discuss this with them," he said.