RECYCLING glass bottles could soon send one lucky family on a £3,000 sunshine holiday.

When residents from Darlington put their empty bottles in the recycling box, they can write their name and address on a coupon provided at every home and put it in one of the bottles.

The five Tees Valley borough councils, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Darlington, are attempting to encourage more people to take up recycling with a Message in a Bottle competition.

There will be a weekly draw at each of the councils' recycling centres for £50 holiday vouchers, then at the end of the 12-week scheme, a draw involving all the weekly winners will be made.

The overall winner will get the chance to collect their bottle from a beach of their choice - up to the value of £3,000.

The scheme will be paid for through a £58,000 grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.