The introduction of a 5p charge for plastic bags in England has been blamed for a packaging firm going into administration.

Forty workers have been made redundant at Nelson Packaging's factory in Lancashire. Managing director Michael Flynn said it was mainly due to "the English bag legislation and corresponding impact on customer and retailer demand". He also blamed "aggressive overseas competition". The 5p charge for bags was introduced in England in October and followed the introduction of charges in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. One worker told BBC Radio Lancashire they believed the legislation had a "slight but not a massive impact" on the business, which has been operating since 1975 and was taken over by Cheshire-based packaging firm Intelipac three years ago.Union representative Robert Copeland, who had been with the firm since 1986, said staff were told last Wednesday that they were being made redundant and were told to leave the factory immediately.

"It's daunting as I have no interview skills. I'm 49 years old and I've got to now go into a new working environment and start again. It is scary.

"I was 19 when I started and… you were seeing the children of people you have been working with for 30 years starting to come through so you had parents and children

Honestly the 5p bag charge doesn't effect me in a very large way so I don't mind it. I think it's a way create money for companies. People who complain about it are usually the people who don't have enough money to afford bags. Which I have nothing against but it depends on who you are because lower class wage payed people.