A PLASTIC-wrapped press release sent out in a huge cardboard Christmas box by the Environment Agency has been slammed as 'astonishingly wasteful'.

The red boxes, decorated with gift ribbon and containing a single, three-page document, were sent out to newspapers across the North West by the government body, which works to combat the effects of global warming.

Three boxes were sent to the Lancashire Telegraph office to promote the agency's Floodline, which allows residents to find out if their home is at risk from rising levels of water - ironically, something identified as a symptom of global warning.

But the publicity exercise has been criticised by Friends of the Earth members, who said the packages were contributing to global warming because of the materials used.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said that originally the packages were supposed to be the sixe of a small jewellery box.

But she said that the decision to make them bigger was taken to maximise their impact and draw the media's attention to the serious issue of flooding.

After the Lancashire Telegraph gave the agency details of the criticism, its media team made arrangements for the boxes to be picked up from out Blackburn offices to ensure that they are recycled and re-used appropriately.

The boxes measure 38cm by 38cm and are 24cm deep - big enough to contain a laptop computer or six pairs of shoes.

They are 100 per cent recyclable and contain a sticker encouraging recipients to reuse or recycle them.

But Avril Hesson, from Burnley's Friends of the Earth group, said: "When the rest of us are trying to squeeze presents into little boxes to post, this is disgraceful and astonishingly wasteful.

"The carbon footprint for delivering these boxes would be amazing.

"And putting the document in a plastic bag is even worse.

"The Environment Agency should know better."

Ian Dixon, of the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Friends of the Earth group, added: "This is wasteful and needless.

"A document like this could be emailed. And to send it three times to the same newspaper is just silly - the information could quite easily be passed around the office instead.

"It's OK to put a sticker inside encouraging people to reuse the box but who is to say that they will."

Both members urged people to reuse or recycle any festive packaging and wrapping paper that they receive and to consider holding on to presents if they will be seeing the recipients in the new year, when they can be delivered in person.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "The original concept was to send out a press release in a small recycled and recyclable box.

"However, a creative decision was taken to send larger boxes to capture journalists' attention at this busy time of year."

The Environment Agency said it was disasppointed the Lancashire Telegraph had chosen to highlight its campaign in this way and that it was masking the deliverance of a serious message.

The spokesperson added: "The boxes used were 100 per cent recyclable and contained a sticker encouraging recipients to reuse or recycle them."