OXFORD'S historic High Street is being overwhelmed by 2,500 buses a day, a leading local hotelier has warned.

And Jeremy Mogford, the owner of the Old Bank Hotel on the High, says he is preparing to fund an independent survey to highlight the damage being inflicted on the city's most famous street.

Mr Mogford says he has decided to bring in consultants after being driven to despair by the number of buses thundering past his hotel and adjoining restaurant, Quod.

He believes that buses in the High should no longer be viewed as the answer to the city's transport problems - but rather "a monster" that is destroying the city's historic heart.

Now he believes only independent consultants can confirm that bus numbers, bus speeds and pollution levels are running out of control.

Mr Mogford, said: "The county council's own figures suggest there are more than 2,500 driving down the High daily. It is my intention to underwrite a survey that will look at bus numbers and other issues affecting the High. It seems many bus drivers exceed the 20mph level. I have lived and worked in Oxford for 30 years. The High is no longer an attractive place to walk and shop. It has been allowed to become a giant bus park."

Philip Kirk, managing director of the Oxford Bus Company said: "Many people would be greatly inconvenienced by any restriction on buses in the High Street. There are no more buses using the High Street than before the OTS was introduced in 1999 and the number of cars in the area has been dramatically curtailed.

"We have just won a major bus industry award that acknowledges the tremendous efforts of the Oxford Bus Company in cutting emissions from our buses to the minimum. An independent survey showed that our fleet is the greenest in the country. In the last few years we have spent over £20m providing Oxford with the cleanest possible buses."

But Mr Mogford said buses obscured the architecture and polluted the air so much that guests at the Old Bank and Quod frequently asked to be moved from bedrooms or tables fronting the High.

"The time has come for the local councils to show some imagination and really think about what can be done about these buses. Historic Oxford is being taken for granted and the street that triggered the Oxford Transport Strategy had ended up becoming its ultimate casualty."

He said that plans to redevelop the Westgate and West End meant an investigation into buses on the High had become essential. And he warned that the city would not be forgiven if it focused on new multi-million pound developments, while leaving the historic street permanently swamped by buses.

Taking London buses out of the city centre should be a priority, he said. His preferred solution would be to create bus hubs near the city centre, where passengers could embark on single deck eco-friendly buses.

Dick Helling, the county council's public transport officer, said: "I honestly do not know the exact number of buses travelling down the High. But the important point is that buses bring in almost half of all the people coming into the city centre. So 2,500 buses is quite small compared with the number of cars needed to bring in the same number of people.

"We are in constant discussion with the bus companies about improving emission levels. And we are already well ahead of the game."

Mr Mogford's comments came as Oxford Bus Company was this week celebrating news that it had scooped the Award for Social Responsibility at the UK Bus Awards this week.

The award is in recognition of bus operators that successfully engage with their communities, at the same time minimising the impact of their activities on the environment.