TESCO is set to stop selling 5p carrier bags to customers.

The supermarket giant has announced that shoppers will instead have to buy a new 10p bag for life from August 28 onwards.

The move comes after the plastic bag charge came into force in October 2015, which resulted in customers using almost 80 per cent fewer single-use bags.

Matt Davies, UK and ROI CEO at Tesco, told a national newspaper: "The number of bags being bought by our customers has already reduced dramatically.

"Today’s move will help our customers use even fewer bags but ensure that those sold in our stores continue to fund thousands of community projects across the country chosen by customers.

"It’s the right thing to do for the environment and for local communities."