A MILK business which delivers plastic-free groceries to doorsteps in East Lancashire is expanding.

The Modern Milkman is bringing a traditional service into the new age as it aims to cut down the amount of plastic people use.

Based in Pendle, the business delivers plastic-free groceries, including glass-bottled milk, to more than 100 doorsteps across the borough as well as Burnley and Padiham.

The owners of the business, Paul White, Thomas Shaw, Simon Mellin and Becky Hilton, have now announced they will soon extend their services to other towns in the North West.

Mr White, who is also leader of Pendle Council, said “The idea was borne from David Attenborough’s Blue Planet programme, which focused on the plight of plastic on our oceans.

“The response has been pretty staggering, we’ve been really taken aback by it. It’s great to see so many people wanting to actually tackle this problem.”

The four business owners currently operate in several places, including Colne, Foulridge, Trawden and Laneshaw Bridge, but will now expand to Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Craven and Manchester.

They would join a plethora of milk businesses in the area, including Blackburn’s Simpsons Farm Dairies, Guide’s Pulford Farm Dairies, Clitheroe’s Gazegill Organics and The Sheep Milk Company at the Forest of Bowland.

Mr Mellin said: “There has been a huge appetite for this, and we’re reaching out to a whole new audience.

“It’s great to be able to bring old and new together, with a traditional doorstep service but accessed in a really convenient way that the customer can manage themselves.”

The business, which was set up last year, has also launched a new app.

It will enable customers to order right up to 9.30pm the night before to have their groceries delivered by 7.30am the next morning.

The app has taken six months to develop and will be launched this week on Apple store and on the Google Play store.

The team has a range of products on offer.