Estate agents are facing prosecution in a bid to stop tenants littering the streets with household rubbish.

Brighton and Hove City Council wants to take legal action against those who fail to keep rubbish off the streets.

It follows complaints from residents fed up with pavements being covered with a variety of refuse from rotting food to soiled nappies.

Where tenants are to blame, the council is considering threatening landlords with prosecution.

Hove councillor Averil Older's bid to target people living in large houses split into flats and bedsits has received all-party backing.

The environment committee is to produce a leaflet to be distributed by estate agents and letting agents.

They will be asked to give it to all new tenants or flat owners to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities.

It will give advice on how waste should be stored and which days rubbish is collected and warns agents and residents they may face prosecution and fines if they fail to comply.

The council has already threatened to take action against the occupants of flats in Tisbury Road, Hove.

The road which runs next to Hove Town Hall is frequently littered with debris spilling from black plastic bags that have been pecked seagulls.

Neighbours have complained of dirty nappies, condoms and food leftovers being spread across the pavement.

Tisbury Road resident David Wells, 36, a journalist, said: "Almost every day, we are forced to walk through other people's filth - I'm often forced to put on gloves and go and clean up the mess myself.

"I'm not sure what good a leaflet stating the blindingly obvious would do."

Lesley Baker, of Tisbury Road Residents' Association, said: "The council set up a rubbish doctor scheme to deal with the problems.

"But they received so many complaints the scheme was abandoned in the end because they could not keep up with it."

A council spokesman said: "The council's enforcement team is monitoring the problem in Tisbury Road with a view to taking action against those responsible."