QUESTIONS have been raised as to whether armed police officers patrolling the centre of Oxford are becoming the 'norm' and if they present a comfort or danger to the public.

The sight of Thames Valley Police officers carrying machine guns has a common sight 2017 and the patrols will continue over Christmas.

They were initially been deployed in the wake of terror attacks in Manchester and London earlier this year, with nearly a third of readers surveyed agreeing that the sight was unsettling.

Police say there is no intelligence that suggests there is a specific threat against Oxford or the wider Thames Valley area.

And concerns about whether police should be armed without a specific reason have been lodged with TVP, with some suggesting it only increases risk and creates a barrier to the public.

Oxford resident Elizabeth Lock, who works in publishing at Campion Hall. who was left uneasy by the sight of armed officers.

During a recent cycle into the city, the 46-year-old, of Ferry Road, Marston, Oxford, spotted two armed officers walking along New Inn Hall Street.

Mrs Lock has now complained to the professional standards department of Thames Valley Police, and says she is yet to receive a reply.

She said: "It was a peaceful ordinary weekday morning and I saw two officers strolling along - just like two officers on the beat - but they were both carrying semi-automatic weapons.

"The more I thought about it the more it disturbed me. I've seen armed officers before in London and thought there must be a specific incident. But it seems to me that bringing guns into a situation where it is unlikely there are any other guns is unlikely to make it safer.

"If someone had tried to rob a bank or something I would understand the need, but these guns fire hundreds of rounds per minute and it's just not appropriate to have a gun like that in a situation where people are doing Christmas shopping with their children.

"Brining semi-automatic carbines into a street crowded with shoppers is profoundly irresponsible. Even if there had been a legitimate reason to fire the chances of the innocent being injured or killed were unacceptably high."

Since September, there has been an increase in armed officers throughout the Thames Valley, particularly in crowded areas, after a device was detonated at Parsons Green Tube station in south-west London.

Mrs Lock said she does not see terrorism as an excuse to roll out armed patrols.

She said: "It remains inappropriate to normalise the idea of policemen on the beat - who are there to help and reassure the public - carrying a gun.

"It doesn't make the city centre feel like a nice secure place for people to go.

A poll conducted by the Oxford Mail revealed that 51 per cent of readers surveyed said seeing armed police makes them feel reassured, whereas 28 per cent said it was 'unsettling' and makes them more nervous.

The remainder, 21 per cent, said they hardly notice they are there.

Thames Valley Police spokeswoman Hannah Jones said: "Members of the public may notice armed officers on patrol during the festive period.

"Specially-trained armed officers regularly patrol busy areas as part of our ongoing operations to help protect the security of our communities.

"The country is currently at a severe threat level with regard to international terrorism which means that an attack is highly likely.

"Over the past few months the value the public places on a visible policing presence being provided through armed and unarmed patrols is clear, however the force keeps its approach to armed and unarmed patrols under constant review."