SEVENTH-months-pregnant Kimberley Fielding, 20, of Sandon Street, Darwen, was sacked without warning from Netto for giving away 100 carrier bags for free.

Critics said this was harsh as they only cost pence. But, with the litter and environmental problems caused by carrier bags, should they be given away free?

Christine Ingham, 39, of Lyon Street, Church, is a store assistant who also loves to shop. She said: "Carrier bags should be free and better quality. Some of the bags you get from supermarkets now are really flimsy and rip as soon as anything heavy is put in them.

"If businesses want you to spend money in their stores they should at least give you free bags to take your purchases home in. I work in H Samuel and we give carrier bags away in there but they are good quality ones which can be used and reused.

"If all carrier bags were all of good quality then there would not be a waste problem with carrier bags because they would be recycled every time people went shopping."

Coun Winifred Frankland said: "As a geography teacher I fully appreciate the environmental issues relating to plastic carrier bags and the importance of recycling.

"The Co-op Group has now introduced biodegradable bags which disappear instead of filling up landfill sites and I personally would pay extra for such bags.

"But for the best of both worlds I think supermarkets should be promoting recycling and introducing biodegradable bags free of charge as customers already spend a lot of money in stores without additional costs."