A CRACKDOWN on illegal street trading in Oxford city centre appears to have driven the pedlars off the streets.

While 11 stalls were packed up in a joint police and Oxford City Council operation on Saturday, December 15, at the weekend there were no pedlars in Cornmarket Street, left.

Street trading enforcement officer Kevin Keating said: "It appears to have made a further impact. We will continue enforcement action on illegal trading."

He said officers had been working to 'disrupt and prevent' anybody attempting to trade illegally.

But Oliver O'Dell, chief executive of city centre management company OX1, welcomed the news, but feared illegal traders would come back during the week.

Liam Moore, manager of Bangles, added: "Give it a couple of weeks and they will be back -the council really have to put their foot down."

But Trudy Lillis, of clothes shop Thena, said: "I think it's quite unjust. They are only small tradesmen making a little extra bit of cash from selling a few silk scarves and I can't see why that's wrong."