Innovators at Oxford Brookes University are designing smart phone apps to make students’ lives a whole lot easier.

One app being considered will help students to cook a meal by listing the contents of their fridge.

And another could be a smartphone bestseller – providing the perfect hangover cure.

The university is staging a competition for students to come up with ideas for innovative apps – programmes designed for smart phones or tablets.

The best suggestions will be developed as apps that can be downloaded for Apple iPhones and Android phones, with 13 iPads given away as prizes.

The competition is running until the end of the month with judging taking place in April.

The apps will then be developed and made available for students in time for the next academic year.

Film studies student Tom Turner, 23, and history of art and music student Tom Hatton, 21, are helping to organise the competition, although they are not judging it.

Mr Turner, of Stockmore Street, East Oxford, said: “Brookes is one of the best research universities and you can use students’ ideas in whatever way you want.

“We think there’ll be about 200 entries and we have had 150 so far.

“There are bound to be some fun ideas as well as more serious ones.

“One app suggested could give you a menu to create a meal using a photo of your fridge contents.

“Another suggestion is an app showing the nearest free and paid parking — very useful in Oxford.

“Initially the apps that are chosen could be free to increase popularity and then sell for 69p.”

Mr Turner and Mr Hatton set up creative group T&Biscuits Media and are developing an app to help students present essays using the Harvard referencing system.

Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof John Rafferty said: “I am sure the development of exciting new apps will have a lasting impact on those studying at the university.”

In December, ex-teacher Avril Lethbridge, 79, from North Oxford, designed an app based on her good manners and etiquette card game.