A NEW app to reduce the issue of abandoned trolleys has launched after 21,373 were collected in Dunbartonshire alone, last year.

The area came ninth in the UK on the trolley loss leader board, according to Wanzl, a trolley and retail equipment manufacturer.

The company has now established a new free app, Trolleywise, and is calling on members of the public to help report abandoned trolleys by taking a photo which alerts the nearest collection team.

Trolleys are then “rescued” and returned to any retailer that has the service in place and the user will get an immediate message confirming if the trolley can be collected and another when the trolley has been returned to the store.

Simon King, head of retail systems at Wanzl, said: “Our retail customers take the issue of trolley abandonment in local communities very seriously and we continue to work closely with them to find a way to reduce the numbers.

“The UK has the highest level of trolley loss in the world and we are hoping that by launching our campaign, we can raise awareness of the problem and engage members of the public to work alongside major retailers and help us to tackle the issue.”