A FORMER Forest pub landlord is producing eco-friendly roof tiles – using recycled disposable nappies.

Car bumpers that have been recycled also go into the plastic tiles produced by Bruce Bennett at Small Planet Tiles with partner Edward Haeffner.

Recycled concrete gives them a traditional "granular" finished appearance.

The tiles are used on a wide range of buildings and the company is hoping to get consent from the government to use them on homes.

Bruce, who ran The George in St Briavels, said: "Using recycled nappies sounds like a potty idea but although they are convenient, they are not at all environmentally friendly.

"The nappies are properly sanitised and converted into a high-quality polymer which we use in the tiles."

Most of the eight billion disposables used in Britain every year end up in landfill and can take 200 years to decompose.

Bruce said: "Not only are we diverting a lot of these nappies from landfill but because the tiles are a lot lighter than conventional tiles, the structures on which they are used can be a lot lighter which again saves resources.

"They are also quicker to install than traditional tiles."

"We distributing the tiles around the country but we're particularly pleased to have the support of Hales of Drybrook here in the Forest of Dean in stocking them."