ALMOST 100 community groups, including 26 schools, have signed up to take part in Oxford’s annual spring clean.

OxClean is in its fourth year and 96 community groups have signed up.

Organisers are calling for more groups to join the March 4 and 5 event, which is backed by The Oxford Times.

Most groups pick up litter in their neighbourhoods and on open spaces.

Spokesman Ros Weatherall said: “We want to keep this event going every year because, unfortunately, the litter does come back, particularly in places where city council staff can’t get to easily.

“The groups pick up plastic bags, crisp packets, coffee cups, drinks cans and bottles, and the volunteers are given different coloured bags so they can separate out the recyclables.”

Groups set to take part include the Rose Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, Oxford Brookes Student Union, Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, and Oxford Hub Community Volunteers.

Ms Weatherall, a retired statistician from Jericho, said: “Two garages in Headington and Osney Island are serving as our depots and we are doing all our communication by email these days, whereas some of it was done by post when we started out four years ago.

“The vast majority of the litter picks take place within the city boundary, although people in Cumnor also take part, and have an arrangement with Vale of White Horse District Council to pick up their litter.

“At the end of the weekend, staff from Oxford City Council come round to pick up the litter and then it is weighed, so they can let us know how much we have collected.”

Ms Weatherall said one of the locations targeted by litter pickers was the car park in Walton Well Road opposite the entrance to Port Meadow.

She added: “I’m a member of the Cripley Meadow Allotments Association and we do a litter-pick in the car park.

“People drive in there at lunchtime, eat their lunch and then chuck the fast-food wrappers out of the car windows.”

This year’s campaign slogan is ‘Don’t drop it’, a slogan that is featuring on Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach buses and on black cabs.

OxClean 2010 saw a record turnout of 117 community groups and schools, with an estimated 1,700 volunteers taking part.

To take part, visit oxclean.org.uk — the website features a ‘grot spots’ map of areas which still need to be adopted by a group.