A bra amnesty was held in Abington Street yesterday as part of Northamptonshire County Council's re-use fortnight, a campaign to get the county's residents reusing and recycling as much as possible.

Rebecca Cook, county council waste management officer, organised the event after reading that Oxfam had started accepting bras for the first time for use in developing countries.

Miss Cook said: "I thought it would be a brilliant idea to tie in with reuse fortnight. There is nothing wrong with the bras we have been given, it's just that your shape can change, and it makes sense for the bras to go to someone who needs them rather than just to go in the bin."

Alongside the bra bank was an 'inside out' exhibition which aimed to show the possibilities of decorating and furnishing the home using entirely second-hand goods.

Miss Cook said the show had been a big hit with the public so far.

She said: "We have had a really positive response from the public. A lot of people walking by have been stopping to ask what it is all about.

"There are lots of places people can take their unwanted furniture, or get things they need cheaply.

Some of this furniture is from the Freecycle website, other parts are from the British Heart Foundation second-hand shop and others are from the reuse areas at recycling centres."

For further information on reuse and recycling, and to find out how to get rid of anything from washing machines to clothing without using up landfill space, log on to www.recyclemyoldstuff.co.uk