Shoppers could be forced to pay a 5p tax on single use plastic bottles to help clean up the environment, Theresa May has said.

The Prime Minister said that she was considering a levy on plastic bottles like water and soft drinks bottles in a bid to change behaviour among consumers.

A similar levy on carrier bags resulted in an 83 per cent fall in the number of single-use plastic bags taken home since 2015.

Mrs May is due to set out her plans for the environment in a major speech on Thursday this week.

The plans go further than a plastic bottle deposit scheme which has been mooted by ministers.