Rockers Status Quo, TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson and rival leaders Tony Blair and David Cameron are all getting in on the act to support an Oxfordshire open air swimming pool.

The "hall of fame" has been prevailed upon by the tenacious organisers of The Lido at Chipping Norton determined to get the good and the great to contribute something to their annual Auction of Promises.

And they certainly need their help because the pool, rescued four years ago from the axe, needs all the money it can get to cover annual running costs.

The auction is in Chipping Norton's town hall on May 18 and the man with the hammer and the persuasive talk to get the highest bids is Mr Clarkson himself, who lives just outside the town.

Claire Jarvis, one of The Lido trustees, said: "He's a great supporter, this will be the fourth auction he's done.

"His children learned to swim here, though that was some years ago. They now have their own pool, so they don't swim here now as regularly as they used to."

In the last three years campaigners have raised £12,500, £16,500 and £22,000.

This year local MP and Tory party leader David Cameron has donated an autographed book and a couple of signed bottles of whisky for the auction, while Prime Minister Tony Blair has autographed a No 10 Downing Street booklet.

Status Quo have donated show tickets along with a chance to meet them backstage.

Other lots include an Aston Martin driving experience, holidays, festival tickets and meals out.

Ms Jarvis added: "A lot of credit goes to our auction organiser Ken Norman, but all of us prevail on who we know, pull strings and use a whole network of contacts to get what we can.

"All open air pools have a hand-to-mouth existence. They're not open all the year, but having saved it from closure our biggest challenge is to ensure its viable future."

The only public funding the pool now gets is a £2,000 grant from Chipping Norton Town Council, though last year it brought in 17,000 swimmers, its highest number ever.

It opens for the season today.