Winchester's Women's Institute branch plans to support a national campaign to transform Britain's streets.

"Save our Streets" is an English Heritage campaign that aims to lobby local authorities to restore historic thoroughfares.

It has already won the backing of the National Federation of WIs and the Department of Transport.

The campaign strategy is to raise public awareness of cluttered streets and carry out audits that will show planners where potential improvements can be made.

Author Bill Bryson, who this year joined the English Heritage Advisory Committee, said the campaign would set out "to restore dignity and character to England's streets, largely by removing the blight of unnecessary signs, poles, bollards, barriers, hotchpotch paving schemes and obtrusive road markings".

Sue Attrill, chairman of the Hampshire Federation of WIs, said street audits would be undertaken in Winchester as soon campaign brochures were received from English Heritage.

She said some streets in the city were "overly-cluttered" while others had hazards that might prove dangerous to the blind or partially-sighted.

The campaign was not intended to be unkind to councils, she said: "If they do a good job and streets are well-maintained, we will say 'well done'."

Copies of English Heritage's "Save our Streets" campaign booklet and a CD-rom are available free by calling 0870-3331181.