BUSINESSES, schools, cafes and colleges have been urged to keep the pavements in front of their buildings clean to tidy up 'filthy Oxford'.

The Spotless Oxford scheme - set up by businessman Jeremy Mogford and the OxClean team - has already been joined by Costa Coffee, Marks and Spencer, The Cherwell School and many more.

After launching the scheme, Mr Mogford signed up his restaurants and hotels, Quod, Gees, The Old Parsonage Hotel and The Old Bank Hotel.

He said: "It came about from Oxford being so filthy.

"It's something we should all take part in to assist Oxford City Council in keeping the city clean.

Mr Mogford said the council's street scene team - which won best service team at the national Association of Public Service Excellence awards last year - did a great job but that others should do more.

"Everybody has to take responsibility for their shop frontage or the pavement in front of their businesses.

He added: "If you go abroad to France or Italy, for example, the first thing you see in the morning is people sweeping the pavements in front of their shops and cafes."

Flyers have been circulated to businesses, cafes and restaurants in the city and many have already signed up.

Chain retailers, independent firms, University colleges and The Cherwell School, are among those who have pledged to keep their pavements clean.

Marks and Spencer staff will sweep and pick litter in front of its Queen Street and Banbury Road stores and Costa Coffee have promised the same at its Summertown and Cowley Road cafes.

The Ashmolean Museum, Bodleian Library, Blackwell's, University College and Oriel College have joined.

The Oxford Preservation Trust will clean Turn Again Lane and St Ebbe's Street.

The Cherwell School has said it will look after each side of Marston Road aligning the school, the underpass joining its two sites, and the footpath to Ferry Car Park.

Mr Mogford said: "As soon as we put it to people they were very interested and keen to sign up, it's been a fantastic response.

"We want even more to join them to cover an even larger area of the city."

Rosanne Bostock, who runs the city's OxClean initiative - which has seen hundreds of residents keep the city tidy for more than a decade - backed the scheme.

She said: "This is a great idea for helping keep Oxford’s streets clean and litter-free all year round.

"It used to be a common thing to do in this country and still is in many parts of the world."