ONLY one of Oxford's litter wardens is fully operational because the city council cannot attract a suitable candidate to fill the other £20,000 job.

The two wardens, the first to patrol Oxford's streets, were supposed to start at the end of August to help keep streets clear of rubbish and fine litterbugs.

Two months later, only one enforcer has been employed, with the vacant post currently filled by a temp.

Their remit includes the power to issue £75 fines for a variety of environmental offences, including putting rubbish out on the wrong day.

They will also ensure businesses stick to guidelines for disposing of trade waste, educate schoolchildren about rubbish and run anti-litter campaigns.

The Town Hall interviewed 21 applicants, but only found one suitable candidate for the job - which includes walking up to 10 miles each day.

Candidates were also told they could face "potentially aggressive situations" in the course of their duties.

The woman heading up Oxford's 'recycling revolution' said the council would use the carrot of education and the stick of fines and court action to get their message across.

City councillor Jean Fooks, executive member for a cleaner city, said: "If people ultimately do things they should not then we will have to (take court action) but it is more likely to be businesses. We will not be soft.

"There are one or two (businesses) I have in my sights because I think they are ignoring the rules.

"We hope to issue enough carrots, but I suspect there will be a couple of sticks.

"We have re-advertised (for the second post) and I am as confident as I can be someone will pop up very soon."

In just over a fortnight thousands of wheelie bins will be distributed to homes across the city, the latest part of the Town Hall's drive to boost recycling rates.

The authority has already ordered thousands more green recycling boxes because of increased demand.

Tony Nanton, 39, from East Oxford, quit his job as a warehouse manager to become the city's first litter warden.

He said: "I applied for the job because I felt it was a real challenge. I loved watching programmes like Life of Grime and developed an interest in their work.

"Every day is different and I never know what challenge will face me when I turn up for work.

"It's not all about spotting people who drop cigarette butts and litter. We have to talk to businesses, club promoters and landlords about waste issues."

John Copley, the city's head of environmental health, added: "Although 21 people applied for environmental enforcement officer role, we needed to ensure we found suitable candidates."