MARKS & Spencer

is to replace its plastic cutlery with wooden alternatives. The supermarket made the announcement after Oscar Glancy, a 15-year-old from Taunton in Somerset, launched a petition on the website Change.org. The petition attracted more than 50,000 signatures.

It prompted M&S to say it will scrap plastic knives, forks and spoons – a change it insisted it had been considering for some time.

Mike Barry, of M&S, said: ‘We take the issue of plastic pollution seriously. We’re already planning to phase out plastic cutlery this summer and will be replacing them with Forest Stewardship Council certified wooden knives, forks and spoons.’