Sir - I would like to support councillor John Goddard's thoughts in his letter (February 8), especially in the clause ".... far too many plastic bags are accepted by us as shoppers every day".

It goes further than that. I suggest that one reason why far too many plastic bags are accepted by us is that far too many are unnecessarily offered to us.

Obviously the week's shop at a major supermarket just has to be in bags for taking to our cars, though Bags for Life is one solution there. However, is it necessary for major high street shops to offer plastic bags for small items, which seems to be a regular practice?

For example, in Cornmarket I was recently offered a bag by the sales assistant for a newspaper, in the High Street I was offered one for a small book of raffle/cloakroom tickets. I may be approaching bus pass age but I think I can manage to carry a newspaper without assistance. When asked whether I would like a bag I refuse unless one is really necessary and ask in reply whether the sales assistants are instructed by their managers to ask customers whether they want a bag. In some major high street stores it appears that they are so instructed, in others the offer is on their own initiative. Is it not time that high street stores were urged to instruct their staff that they should not offer plastic bags unprompted, but should give them only if asked?

Richard Shock, Oxford