M&S defends plastic toy giveaway

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is defending its decision to offer miniature replicas of its most popular food items in a promotion called Little Shop.

Each toy comes in a wrapper and shoppers will receive one of the 25 toys free for every £20 spent.

Some shoppers have taken to social media, such as Facebook and Mumsnet to denounce M&S for producing needless plastic waste, while others have complained about the high cost.

An M&S spokesperson told the BBC the toys were "designed to be used again and again", but there were collection boxes in every store for those who wanted to return them for recycling.

In addition, the retailer is running swap events where people can exchange duplicates and obtain the toys they have missed.

The BBC reported the store chain's head of sustainability, Carmel McQuaid, has appeared in a YouTube video in an effort to reassure customers that the promotion will not harm the environment.

She said that sustainability was "at the heart" of the Little Shop collectables and that M&S would recycle any unwanted toys.