THREE days of spring cleaning start tomorrow to spruce up Oxford grot spots.

As part of OxClean’s eighth annual Spring Clean event tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday some of the city’s worst areas for litter will be tidied up.

Launching the annual campaign at Windmill Primary School in Headington, headteacher Lynn Knapp said: “It’s very important that we educate children about the reasons why we shouldn’t drop litter.

“We have made it a high priority with the school.”

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It was the first time the scheme had been launched at a school.

Children were shown presentations about the effects of littering and Vice Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire John Harwood spoke to pupils about the impact on the oceans and marine life.

It came as Oxford Civic Society chairman Peter Thompson said the group was preparing for its most successful year so far.

OxClean is a Civic Society initiative, supported by Oxford Mail sister paper The Oxford Times, and Oxford City Council.

This year more than 70 groups have signed up to take part in the Spring Clean and will use more than 800 litter pickers. Overall some 1,000 people are expected to take part.

Mr Thompson said: “We are very proud of our accomplishments over the past years and were very pleased to be able to launch the Spring Clean at a school this year.

“The enthusiasm of the children was inspiring and we are looking forward to another successful year of making Oxford even more beautiful.”

OxClean organiser Rosanne Bostock added, “I’m grateful to the school for all its efforts and to everyone who came to help launch Spring Clean. It’s been our best launch ever.”

Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford and Green Party councillor Craig Simmons said: “I’m very excited about this year’s Spring Clean. It really seems to be extending its reach.

“I’ve been a supporter of the event since its beginning and so it has been great to see it grow over the years.”

Over the last eight years OxClean is estimated to have removed some 100 tonnes of rubbish from the city’s open spaces.

Among sites to be tackled are Diamond Place car park in Summertown, the West Way area in Botley, and the Cricket Road car park in East Oxford.