A CASH incentive is being offered to mothers in Darlington who use real nappies.

It is estimated that babies use 5,000 disposable nappies before they are potty trained, which all get put into a landfill site.

They can take 500 years to decompose, meaning that every nappy ever produced still exists.

To promote the use of real nappies, Darlington Borough Council is offering an incentive to parents who are willing to give them a try.

Anyone who registers on the incentive scheme will get £25 cash back if they spend £50 or more on real nappies.

Applicants must be Darlington residents, be able to provide a receipt for a pack of real nappies and provide a photocopy of their child's birth certificate.

Veronica Copeland, cabinet member for sustainable environment and climate change, said: "Using real nappies as an alternative to disposables could reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, and save parents at least £500."

To find out more, or to register, call 01325-388631.

To find out more about real nappies log onto www.realnappycampaign.com