Stilt walkers Penelope and Edward, an angel on wheels and a town crier descended on Oxford to publicise its small businesses.

The entertainers were drafted into the city centre by OX1, Oxford's city centre management company, to promote its plan to create a Business Improvement District and to publicise independent traders operating in the proposed BID area. Cards were handed out for a raffle for a chance to win more than £500 of vouchers in a prize draw being made today.

Oliver O'Dell, OX1's chief executive, said: "Oxford's smaller independent stores are a big part of the city's shopping mix. We're keen to do what we can to boost the vitality of this crucial sector."

The proposal would see traders paying into a £1m pot each year to improve the city centre. More than 800 businesses will vote on whether to go ahead with the idea.