Anger at 5p fee for bags
HIGH streets in Wales were plunged into chaos yesterday on the first day of a 5p carrier bag charge.
Almost a third of Welsh people oppose the charge, which applies to paper and plastic bags for anything from a few groceries to a new suit.
Shopkeepers said they had already had rows with many irate customers.
Gill Roberts, 48, was among the first to pay. She said: “It’s absolutely stupid. They’re punishing the consumer when times are already tough.”
David Morris, 56, a businessman from Cardiff, who bought a £500 suit, said: “You’d think they’d be able to waive the charge when I’m paying them so much.”
Anyone who gives bags away could be fined £5,000. The Welsh Assembly is hoping to cut carrier bag use by 85 per cent.