THOUSANDS of litter pickers armed with gloves and sacks have helped spruce up the streets of Oxford.

More than 2,000 people took to the city’s streets over the weekend as part of OxClean’s fifth annual Spring Clean.

From Blackbird Leys to Cutteslowe 122 groups took action against rubbish, taking a couple of hours out of their day to walk the streets with litter pickers.

Most went out on Saturday but some already out litter picking on Friday morning.

Coordinator Vernon Porter said: “It went very well and Saturday’s weather turned out to be much better than we dared hope.

“Some groups wanted to carry on litter picking and couldn’t be stopped.

“We are pleased with the turnout. We’ve had several groups forming and there was more activity in areas such as the Cowley Road.

“Some people have done something with their neighbours for the first time.

“We want to see more people respecting their area.”

OxClean, which is organised by Oxford Civic Society and backed by The Oxford Times and Oxford Civic Society, loaned out hundreds of litter pickers and high-visibility waistcoats. And at the end of the day Oxford City Council, which supplied sacks and boxes, collected all the litter and disposed of it.

Scout leader Julie Fowler took a group of 13 Scouts from the 35th Oxford group around Blackbird Leys on Saturday morning.

She said: “We must have collected about 15 bags of rubbish. We picked up everything from crisp packets and tin cans to broken vases and a dead mouse.

“It is really important that they see people dropping litter as an eyesore.

“They feel proud of what they did on Saturday and the place looks cleaner for it.”

Donnington residents used the occasion to launch a new community group, the Friends of Meadow Lane Nature Reserves.

Meadow Lane resident Oliver Tickell was one of 20 residents who helped spruce up the nature reserve, collecting up to 20 sacks of rubbish. He said: “We probably got a good skipful of scrap metal as well.

“One person found a bicycle graveyard with a heap of eight bikes rusting away.

“It is fantastic to have this open space on our doorsteps where children can go out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

“I hope this will be the first of many events.”

A grand total of how much litter was picked will not be available until the city council weighs all the rubbish this week.