A mayoral candidate has backed a proposal to provide more drinking fountains in a bid to tackle the war on plastic waste.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has urged greater access to public drinking fountains as it would "encourage people to carry refillable bottles instead of buying disposable ones".

George Jabbour, the Conservative's candidate for the mayoral election in Watford in May, said: "Watford has beautiful parks and enjoys many facilities for outdoor activities. Installing public drinking fountains around our town will promote healthier lifestyle choices at the same time as protect the environment.

"Single-use plastic bottles add to the pollution of our water bodies and plastic waste harms our environment.”

David Fallon, who is standing as a Conservative council candidate for Cassiobury Park, added: "I support introducing drinking fountains, particularly in our parks and outdoor facilities across Watford. This measure will not only contribute to cutting down on our consumption of sugary drinks and encouraging healthier habits, but it will also decrease our reliance on plastic bottles and reduce litter."

In recent weeks, major companies have announced they will ban the use of plastic products.

Supermarket Iceland became the first major retailer to commit to eliminating plastic packaging from its own-brand products while Pizza Express said they will stop providing plastic straws across all of its UK restaurants.