Up to 100 car parking spaces are being lost at Oxford's Westgate shopping centre, ahead of the site's demolition.

The spaces, in the car park's northern section, are being taken out of service to allow archaeologists to carry out the next phase of their dig - to uncover clues to the site's past.

Diversions are planned around Norfolk Street and Abbey Place.

Construction of the new Westgate car park gets under way in the summer.

Westgate Partnership spokesman Simon Ward said: "Throughout the work, pedestrian access to the shopping centre will be maintained by constructing an extension to the existing bridge link.

"The day-to-day operation of the car park will also be maintained until temporary facilities are available early next year."

Work at the car park will shortly see the removal of the derelict Westgate escalators, Shopmobility moved to the ground floor, the public toilets relocated to car park levels three and four, and four payment machines installed on car park levels two, three and four.

Archaeological investigations began in the summer on the southern uncovered section of the car park and the Abbey Place car park.

Studies in the 1960s and 1970s, before the Westgate Centre was built, revealed evidence of medieval buildings, including the home of the Greyfriars monastic order.

The need for further archaeological work on the site saw the timetable for the construction of the new shopping centre being extended to 50 months.

Further problems arose when clearance work involving the removal of three London Plane trees in Norfolk Street, alongside the car park, sparked major protests.

The problem of providing sufficient numbers of car parking spaces in the city while the £330m Westgate shopping centre is constructed has continued to be a major headache for planners.

The developers wanted to create two temporary car parks at Oxpens to allow the new Westgate car park and the John Lewis store to be built simultaneously. But city councillors said no.

A car park for 362 cars, on the west side of the ice rink, was approved and will be operational from January.

Plans to create an enlarged two-deck car park at Redbridge will go before councillors later this year.

The Westgate development is pressing ahead although the findings of a planning inquiry into the compulsory purchase of land have yet to be made public.

Vincent McKeown, who can only communicate by blinking, became a figurehead for people fighting to stay in their sheltered housing in Abbey Place when he refused to move to alternative accommodation.

A Government inspector is currently considering whether to rule in his favour, preventing the demoliton of the sheltered housing, or favour Capital Shopping Centres, the firm behind the £330m revamp.

A result is expected later this month.