FREE rubbish bags are being offered to motorists to encourage people to keep the Wear Valley tidy.

As part of the Pride Campaign project, Wear Valley District Council and Groundwork West Durham want to stop motorists throwing litter from car windows by providing free rubbish bags to take their waste home.

People can pick up bags at petrol stations across the district for the rest of the month.

Joanne Morley, Pride campaign officer at Wear Valley District Council, said: "Litter on the roadside sends out a negative message to people visiting an area.

"It says that the people who live there do not care about their local environment and this is just not true."