OXFORD United players helped make a final rallying call ahead of the city’s annual spring clean as dockless bike firm Ofo pledges its support with a ‘rusty bike amnesty’.

The 11th OxClean will take place next weekend and more than 70 groups from communities across the city have already signed up to tidy their neighbourhood.

It was officially launched yesterday by Oxford United footballers and pupils at The Oxford Academy, as more people were urged to take part on March 2-4.

In a bid to rid the city of ‘broken, battered or unloved’ bikes, Ofo has offered three months free usage of its bikes for anyone who hands in an unwanted bicycle.

In its recent manifesto for changes in the city centre, Oxford Pedestrians Association said unmanaged cycle parking and in particular abandoned bikes blocking spaces, was one of the major problems.

Ofo’s operations manager for Oxford, Stuart McCarroll, said: “We’re extremely proud of the uptake of users in Ofo, as a thanks and hopefully to encourage more people to make short journeys by bike, we will be rewarding anyone who takes part in OxClean with free access to our local scheme.”

Bikes brought to West Oxford Community Centre on Saturday, March 3 or Sunday, March 4 will then be donated to the Windrush Bike Project - a community scheme to encourage cycling.

Oxford Civic Society’s OxClean initiative was officially launched at The Oxford Academy yesterday with the help of the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, John Harwood and Lord Mayor of Oxford Jean Fooks.

The litter-picking weekend has also been backed by Oxford United in an attempt to win over a younger generation of volunteers.

Organiser Rosanne Bostock said: “We are pleased with the sign up, we have 72 groups on board and some of them are quite large.

“There is still time for people to get involved and we hope more will join in.”

Last year - the 10th anniversary of the initiative - saw 80 groups cover large parts of the city’s land with people from all areas of Oxford getting involved.

As a result of their hard work, over four tonnes of litter mounds of fly-tipped waste was removed from the streets and parks in the city.

Mrs Bostock said the annual clean had changed the behaviour of people in Oxford over the years but more needed to be done.

She said: “In the first year we had to clear up 10 tonnes of litter but in our 10th year last year that had dropped to 4.5 tonnes.

“There’s still a litter problem in Oxford – if you go to Chipping Norton or Burford, areas with similar beauty, they are all clean.

“It’s not the same in the centre of Oxford and we need people to back this initiative and raise awareness.”

Sign up at oxclean.org.uk