While schools and residents' groups have been taking the lead in organising volunteers for next month's big Oxford spring clean, the city's historic sites are not being ignored.

Five years ago the Martyrs' Memorial in St Giles underwent a £147,000 facelift, after an appeal launched by Oxford Preservation Trust.

Now the trust is determined to mark the anniversary of the restoration by organising a litter pick at the famous Oxford landmark, during the OxClean weekend in March.

Trust director Debbie Dance is marshalling a team of volunteers and staff to clean the area around the memorial, which commemorates the three Protestant martyrs, Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer, and the nearby St Mary Magdalen churchyard.

Ms Dance said: "When we launched the restoration, we raised some money for a maintenance fund, which we will be using to keep it in good repair.

"Cleaning the area around the memorial is a good way of making a start. This is a key green space in the city centre."

The priest in charge of St Mary Magdalen's, the Rev Peter Groves, said: "We're delighted by news of the clean-up. Our churchyard in the spring is one of the glories of central Oxford, when the flowers come out.

"It's a great shame it's sometimes a bit of a tip. The city council looks after it pretty well and things have been better in recent years. But rubbish is still thrown over the fence by people walking past, which is sad when you think there has been a church for more than 1,000 years."

St Mary & St John Church is also being cleaned up. Members of the Cowley St John Parish will be cleaning up the churchyard in Cowley Road and nearby streets.

The OxClean Spring Clean 2008 is sponsored by our sister paper The Oxford Times and run by the Oxford Civic Society and Oxford City Council.

OxClean organisers are urging residents' associations, youth groups, colleges, restaurants and pubs to organise a two-hour litter pick session over the weekend of March 14, 15 and 16.

For more details, email oxclean.oxfordcivicsoc.org.uk or write to: OxClean Spring Clean 2008, 67 Cunliffe Close, Oxford OX2 7BJ.