FREE drinking water is being offered out to people visiting towns north of the county to help tackle plastic pollution.

Cherwell District Council is backing the Refill Bicester and Banbury project to get more people to use reusable bottles.

The council has taken on the running of the scheme to cut plastic waste and will continue the Refill scheme which launched in September.

Refill, the brainchild of Bristol-based company City to Sea, identifies businesses which offer free drinking water via a smartphone application.

Cherwell District Council lead member for clean and green Debbie Pickford said: “Plastic pollution is a real problem around the world, posing a risk to wildlife and waterways.

"We can all do more to help stop it, which is why Cherwell council is so pleased to be supporting the Refill scheme.

"Bringing a reusable bottle on trips to town can save residents and visitors money on expensive bottled water.

"What’s more, we hope it will cut down on the amount of plastic waste in our towns and villages and reduce pressure on our waste and recycling collections."

The council hopes to help expand the project across all of the district, adding to the nine businesses in Bicester and 13 in Banbury already signed up.

People can wina reusuable bottles by sharing the council's tweets on #refillbanburyandbicester