A MODERN scourge of the landscape - abandoned shopping trolleys - is being tackled in the valleys with a new hi-tech system.

The Techno Trolley project was piloted at an Asda store in England late last year in a bid to stop trolleys going astray from the store's car parks.

And now it is being rolled out to Wales's newest store, in High Street, Blackwood, which opened last Monday.

The specially designed trolleys are fitted with a transmitter which triggers a signal if a trolley is pushed or lifted over the boundaries of the car park.

This signal lowers a shield which covers the wheels of the trolley, preventing it from being pushed any further.

Once the shields are activated, the trolleys have a stopping distance of one metre to prevent any sudden impact.

Blackwood store manager Ray Dawson said customer research had showed that abandoned shopping trolleys, whether in towns or in the countryside, were one of the main things that annoy customers about supermarkets.

"The number of trolleys that have a habit of disappearing each week and turning up elsewhere in the area makes an unattractive site not to mention posing a threat to wildlife and the environment," he said.

"With the installation of the new 'Techno Trolley' system, we can ensure that not only are there always plenty of trolleys available for our customers, but more importantly, Asda is pledging its support to help keep the surrounding areas greener."

The trolley scheme has also been given the backing of the Caerphilly county borough council.

Blackwood councillor Kevin Etheridge said: "We'd like to congratulate Asda for introducing this innovative scheme to tackle the issue of abandoned shopping trolleys.

"Past experience has shown that prevention is far better than cure and the added security measures taken by Asda to benefit the quality of the local environment will be welcomed by all."