Litter took on a life of its own as performers covered in rubbish roamed the streets of Witney.

The Rubbish Head troupe of entertainers were providing some light-hearted fun for a serious matter - Anti-Litter Day, last Thursday.

And the event, organised by Witney Town Council and West Oxfordshire District Council, has received the full backing of people in the town, who say they are sick of litter bugs who could not care less about the environment.

Olwen Radburn, from Witney, said: "I think we have to do big campaigns like this - I have really noticed this one.

"It's worse when the children are at school. I have seen them, they just chuck their cans and their wrappers on the floor."

As part of the campaign, posters have been put up all around the town and, last Wednesday, the street cleaners left the litter strewn on the ground on Tuesday to sit, attracting flies, until 3pm to show people the errors of their ways.

Five bags of rubbish were collected after the planned 'strike' and were put on display at the clock tower That pile was added to throughout Thursday by volunteer litter-pickers from groups including the town's Rotary Club and the University of the Third Age.

Passes-by were able to tell council workers about litter hotspots, and the district council has promised to target those areas.

Hilary Miles, from Witney, said: "Even if there's a bin close to hand people drop litter, which is sad because we do feel like we want to live somewhere that looks nice.

"There's no need to do it when there are bins provided. I think it is just the 'can't be bothered' attitude that somebody else will do it.

"Let's hope this will really help."

But she did not think she would follow town mayor Chrissie Curry's insistence that residents of Witney should stand up to litter bugs.

Mrs Miles said: "The attitude of teenagers nowadays is who are you to tell me what to do. People don't want any comeback. I would be a little worried about their reaction."

But four teenagers who were eating their fish and chips on the market square rubbished the idea that young people were to blame for litter.

17-year-old Xanthe Sturgess, from Bampton, said: "People think that, because of the clothes we wear, we're all just yobs, but we're not.

Her friend Ben Pound, also 17, said: "I have seen more adults throwing litter than anyone else."

Paddy Smith, a 17-year-old from Abingdon, said: "I would tell them to pick it up and put it in the bin."

Ms Curry promised that the activities were not the end of the campaign in Witney.