A RALLYING call has been issued to the people of Worcester to join forces and give the city a sweeping facelift ahead of a top national competition.

Councillor Derek Prodger pleaded with people old and young to do their bit to keep the city spotless so Worcester can reap the title of Britain's Cleanest City.

"I do believe we should be putting our name forward, and people have to join and help us win this," said Coun Prodger, cabinet member for community services.

"If they can respond by putting litter in the bin, then we've got a wonderful opportunity. Come on, let's win this."

Mike Harrison, head of operational services at the city council, took the plunge and entered the city in the competition after reading an information pack handed out by the British Cleaning Council.

"The competition is only held every two years and it seems a bit long to wait, as ideally we'd have liked to enter in about 12 months."

The contest - the eighth of its kind - will see the judges' top 10 cities progressing to the next round before they were re-examined and one declared the overall winner, next March.

"Every city gets an independent judgement on what's good and bad, although we've got a good idea ourselves," he added. "We might even be pleasantly surprised."

Judges will descend on the city during the summer and inspect a string of potential rubbish hotspots, including canal towpaths, parks and public buildings.

The bid has the backing of the Worcestershire Duckworth Trust.

"Like a lot of cities, there's a lot of room for improvement," said project manager Mark Driscoll.

"But, if nothing else, it will encourage the city to look at the areas where they need to increase their efforts and it will, certainly, give a particular standard for the city to reach."

See Opinion