I’M all for reusing plastic carrier bags, but isn’t this taking the green recycling thing too far? On a visit to a big-name supermarket in my locality, I went to purchase some items at the cigarette kiosk. The sales assistant asked me if I would like a bag. Yes please, I replied, only to be handed a tatty looking carrier from a major rival just down the road.

Seeing my astonishment, the sales assistant said: “Oh, it’s all part of our instore recycling policy.” Is this the same country-wide, I wonder? Or is it simply my own local store that wants its customers to carry goods out in competitor-branded bags? Talk about knocking theft reduction on the head.

Aled Jones, Bridlington, East Yorkshire