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The countdown to a plastic bag-free county town has begun.

A Bin the Plastic Bag campaign was officially launched at the Royal Star Arcade, Maidstone.

The campaign, set up by Town Centre Management, aims to try and cut down plastic shopping bag use in the town.

Town centre managers hope people will use cotton eco bags and question shop staff if they are automatically given a plastic shopping bag.

Town Centre Manager, Bill Moss said: "The facts are that if each shop in Maidstone gave out 20 plastic bags per day that would equal more than four million bags every year.

"We are not talking about banning plastic completely but if we can reduce people’s usage we predict we can save 400,000 plastic bags going to landfill from Maidstone every year."

A Maidstone "bag lady" was unveiled at the launch, wearing a design made out of carrier bags, by artist Clare Southern, showing how nature is struggling under the weight of plastic.

The bag lady is being taken around Maidstone to raise awareness of the campaign.

Other ambassadors in Maidstone are backing the campaign. They include artist Graham Clarke and poet, John Phillips, who has penned a piece called Ode to a Carrier Bag.

Several shops including Lush and Kilburn jewellers are offfering pape bags in support of the campaign.

In the run-up to the campaign, Town Centre Management has also produced eco bags made out of jute and commissioned 10,000 paper bags for independent shops.