Businesses have been urged to open up their loos ahead of the Rugby World Cup to ensure fans have plenty of places to spend a penny.

Richmond Council introduced the Community Toilet Scheme, under which shops, eateries and other firms across the borough let the public use their lavatories in exchange for a council grant, a decade ago.

But it has now upped the maximum payment available to £1,200 after many participants dropped out in recent years, citing a lack of funding for maintenance.

It hopes the move will encourage more companies to sign up in time for the tournament, which opens at Twickenham Stadium on September 18.

Councillor Pamela Fleming, Richmond Council's cabinet member for environment, business and communities, said: "We have listened to the feedback from businesses and have now put in place the resource needed to really make the scheme work – particularly in the lead up to the World Cup.

"We have also improved the payment for the businesses and hope that when visitors enter to 'spend a penny' they will also stop and consider making a purchase. It's win, win and the new publicity will ensure people know where they are located."

The payment available to participating businesses will depend on the number of facilities available and the opening hours.

Richmond Council plans to launch a new website SpendaPenny, listing the lavatories available, in the next few months.

Public urination has been a bugbear of the ground's neighbours, including those in Whitton, Twickenham and Isleworth, for many years.

They have raised fears streets could be turned into open sewers should adequate facilities not be provided in time for the World Cup, when hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to descend on west London.

Hounslow's new deputy borough commander, Superintendent Raj Kohli, recently said preventing public urination would be one of the big challenges when it came to policing the competition.

If you have a business in Richmond and want to know more about getting involved in the Community Toilet Scheme, call Andrew Bell on 020 8487 5388, email Andrew.bell@richmond.gov.uk or visit www.richmond.gov.uk/community_toilet_scheme.