A vote not to fly a rainbow flag over Abingdon County Hall Museum to mark Oxford Pride has been criticised by campaigners.

More than 1,200 people have signed a petition on website change.org after Abingdon Town Council voted by seven councillors to six not to fly the flag from the building next June.

Oxford Pride is held every year to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the city and the UK as a whole.

The motion to fly the flag was put forward by councillors Neil Fawcett and Sam Bowring but it was not passed.

Oxford Pride chairman Robert Jordan said: "Flying the flag would show that we are an inclusive, loving town where people of any sexuality or gender can live without fear and without trepidation of violence or bullying.

"The county hall is a beacon for Abingdon and what better way to show acceptance, tolerance and love than to fly a symbol of such from its flag pole."

Mr Jordan called on on the council to reconsider its position.

Abingdon town councillor Sandy Lovatt said some councillors voted against the motion to allow the flag to be flown because they considered Oxford Pride to be a political organisation, which lobbied government policy.

He added: "The County Hall building is an official flag station for the town so we fly the national flag or variants of it at the Queen's request.

"We fly the St George's flag on St George's Day and fly the town flag for civic events.

"I think it's unlikely that the decision will be reconsidered but I do regret it if we have offended anyone because intrinsically I support the aims of Gay Pride.

"I would like to invite them to stage an event in Abingdon Market Place whenever they want.

"If we allowed Oxford Pride to fly its flag it would set a precedent and then we could be approached by all sorts of lobby organisations."

Town council leader Mike Badcock said: "The council debated a motion that "Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council source a rainbow flag to fly from County Hall in conjunction with Oxford Pride".

"After full and careful debate the motion was not adopted.

"The council has a long-standing policy on which flags it flies from the County Hall.

"These flags are the Union Flag, the Flag of St George (England), the Town Flag and, annually, the Commonwealth and the Armed Forces Day flags.

"In the event of a Royal visit, the appropriate royal standard is also flown.

"Whilst appreciating the arguments to fly the Rainbow Flag, the council was concerned that if the Rainbow Flag were to be flown this would be a clear precedent which would mean that the Council would come under pressure for other flags to be flown. The current policy is very clear.

"It was also noted that the request was to fly the flag in conjunction with Oxford Pride.

"Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council is the local council for Abingdon and whilst noting that Oxford Pride is attended by people from Abingdon, it is not an Abingdon event.

"The decision which we made was made on the grounds set out above and is not a judgment on the merits of the rainbow flag and what it represents.

"Indeed I was pleased to state that should there be an Abingdon Pride event this would be welcomed and we would be pleased to consider allowing a rainbow flag to be flown from a flagpole on the Market Place."

Mr Jordan said he had been copied into a letter emailed to Mr Badcock from renowned playwright Mike Bartlett.

The letter said: "I can think of no better purpose for a town council than to side with minorities against bullies.

"No better purpose than to make very clear, very public statements about what is acceptable in a community in the 21st century.

"To reject a motion like this appears to do the opposite."