A BIG clean-up should make life brighter for residents in the Malvern Hills district, from Upton-upon-Severn to Tenbury Wells.

A review of street cleaning, footpaths and public lavatories will be carried out this autumn by Malvern Hills District Council.

It will also investigate the condition of the "slings," dozens of traditional urban paths and alleys used as shortcuts by local people.

Council members are drawing up a list of slings to see whether they have become overgrown and neglected.

The aim is to improve the street scene for residents, while helping to attract more tourists at the same time.

"The district has a lot of visitors who come here for the pleasure of walking on the Hills, going to the theatre, cruising on the River Severn and exploring the Teme Valley," said Coun Diane Rayner, who chairs the overview and scrutiny committee.

"As word of mouth is the most powerful advertisement that a place can have, we want everyone to talk well about the district and take away a favourable impression of us when they go home."

The help of parish, town and county councils will be enlisted and any work needing to be done will be considered later this year.