THE LORD Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Hugo Brunner, put his ceremonial sword to good use at the official launch of OxClean Spring Clean 2008.

The Lord Lieutenant showed his personal commitment to the great city-wide clean up when he visited St Gregory the Great School, by playfully picking up pieces of litter with his silver sword.

Mr Brunner was joined at the OxClean launch by the Lord Mayor of Oxford, John Tanner, and Tony Joyce, the chairman of Oxford Civic Trust, which is co-ordinating the campaign.

Youngsters at the school were given details of the OxClean Spring Clean 2008, the first volunteer effort of its kind, offering everyone a chance to take part in a city-wide clean up over the weekend of March 14, 15 and 16.

The Oxford Times is supporting the campaign, with Oxford City Council the other OxClean partner.

Mr Brunner said his own interest in keeping the city tidy had been in part inspired by the example of his late mother, Elizabeth Lady Brunner, who had founded the Keep Britain Tidy Group in 1955.

The number of groups who have already chosen areas of the city to clean up presently totals 80.

Schools, residents' associations, businesses, youth groups, colleges, restaurants and pubs are all being invited to join a two-hour litter pick. As well as selecting a site, each group will be responsible for recruiting volunteers and organising the collection of litter and some of the equipment that may be needed, such as gloves.

Oxford City Council will offer advice on all aspects of litter collection, and will also supply plastic bags. It will also arrange roadside litter collections at the end of each day, with the totals collected weighed at the end of each day.

To find out more, visit oxclean.oxfordcivicsoc.org.uk, or email oxclean@oxford civicsoc.org.uk. Alternatively, you can write to OxClean Spring Clean 2008, 67 Cunliffe Close, Oxford, OX2 7BJ.

Derek Holmes, the editor of The Oxford Times, said: "In response to our readers' concerns, The Oxford Times has been campaigning for a cleaner Oxfordshire for some time.

"What we never succeeded in doing was to galvanise people into joining a clean up. When OxClean's idea of a spring clean was put forward we immediately wanted to join. And we are delighted to be enthusiastic partners."