Kidlington's High Street is not vibrant enough to deserve pedestrianisation, according to council officers responsible for solving the road's traffic problems.

The current layout of the village's main shopping street has been criticised by businesses and pedestrians so the parish council has called on planning officers to come up with a better system.

Drivers are ignoring no-entry signs and parking in the street to get to shops, blocking pavements and shop accesses in the process.

Kidlington has only one traffic warden, who is to be shared with Woodstock and Chipping Norton, to enforce the restrictions. But the warden can only issue tickets to cars caught parked there and not those that merely enter the street.

The parish council has asked for the High Street to be fully pedestrianised, with proper enforcement to prevent traffic from entering it, but council officers do not think it is worth it.

Alan Jones, head of planning and development services at Cherwell District Council, said: "You have to ask, what do you want the High Street to be? The situation at the moment is what people wanted in 1993.

"One of the things I'm concerned about is that it's not vibrant enough, it's not attractive enough to invest in. That's a problem for us and pedestrianisation will not solve it."

High Street was closed to all traffic except disabled vehicles and delivery vehicles in 1993.

The district council has decided to set a nominal sum aside in its budget for work on the High Street.

Planning and development officers have been asked to prepare a report on options to improve the street, which will be presented to the council's executive on July 1.

Cllr John Wyse, who sits on the parish and district councils for Kidlington, said: "At the moment people drive in there and park wherever they like.

"We want to attract new traders, particularly clothes shops and larger organisations, to the High Street but we need to pedestrianise the High Street."