Calls have been made for more land in Oxford to be made available for allotments after it was claimed repeated flooding had left some plots unusable.

Green councillors have also called for Oxford City Council to improve drainage on allotments, after four associations were given rent rebates totalling £1,419 following last year's floods.

Osney, St Thomas and New Botley, Spragglesea Mead, Cripley Meadow and Cowmead all received compensation for flood damage, while Trap Grounds and East Ward have together abandoned 12 plots after they were repeatedly submerged in the last 12 months.

Green group city councillor Craig Simmons said: "Flooding is now a definite problem for allotment holders.

"The council needs to look at our planning documents and make some provision for new allotment grounds before the problem gets worse.

"They need to decide whether to provide alternative sites or put in extra flood prevention measures in these six sites such as raising the land or increasing the drainage.

"It's not a sensible way forward to sit and wait for them to flood and then pay compensation."

Carol Jarvis, lettings secretary at Trap Grounds, which has around 128 plots, said: "Four plot holders have given up due to repeated flooding and we have abandoned six allotment plots permanently.

"It looks like another two are going to have to be abandoned because they've been waterlogged for so long.

"It would be a great idea to get new allotment land."

Trap Grounds allotments' association chairman Tony Hollander added: "When you have worked so hard and your harvest is ruined it's pretty heart-breaking. It's pretty much impossible to grow on these plots now."

Bob Allen, 61, of Summertown, gave up his plot at New Botley after three floods in 12 months.

He said: "The worst event was the flooding last summer - it killed a huge asparagus bed I had planted, as well as all the perennial flowers, bushes, shrubs, blueberries and raspberries.

"We were sad about having to give it up but we just didn't think it was worth the hard work and effort we'd put in if it was just going to keep flooding all the time."

City council cabinet member with responsibility for allotments Colin Cook said: "We understand the frustration for gardeners when allotments flood - and especially so last summer when many plot holders lost their summer crops.

"Some of our allotment sites are situated in flood plain areas and therefore play a vital role when flooding occurs.

"We will explore the possibilities for new sites for allotments when the demand exceeds availability."

The council said about 20 per cent of its 2,000 allotment plots were still vacant. It is also making dozens of new plots available at sites such as Barton Fields and Court Place Farm.