Managers of The Big Issue magazine, which is sold by the homeless, are investigating claims of a clash between vendors outside Sainsbury's in Oxford.

The alleged dispute prompted a security guard to put a notice up at the store in Magdalen Street earlier this week but it has now been taken down by store managers.

A manager at the store said she had been told that sellers of the magazine were "starting to argue over the pitch".

But the warning sign was removed today after store managers discussed the matter with The Big Issue.

Magazine spokesman Lara McCullagh said: "We have stopped people selling the magazines at that pitch after 6pm each night as an interim measure to make sure there are no pitch disputes.

"There is one individual who usually sells the magazine at that pitch and there has never been a problem in the past.

"The Big Issue will continue to be sold outside Sainsbury's in Magdalen Street."

Up to 3,500 copies a week are sold from about 30 pitches across Oxford.

No-one from Sainsbury's head office was available for comment.