Two street wardens have been axed from north east Oxford in a decision branded "a big mistake" by a local headteacher.

Marston and Northway lost out after the city council cut its stock of warden positions from 17 to 15.

Two of those roles had been vacant for 18 months and wardens had been spread thinly across the city while replacements were sought.

But the council has now closed the vacancies and moved the two street wardens away from Marston and Northway to another part of Oxford.

The news was announced by Steve Kilsby, Oxford City Council's head of street wardens, to the north east area committee.

Mr Kilsby apologised if the news came as a shock to residents and said it had been a very hard decision to make.

Rachel Crouch, headteacher of St Nicholas Primary School in Old Marston, said the street wardens had provided an invaluable service to the parents and pupils.

She said: "It is such a big mistake, we are very upset about this.

"They are part of our community, inside and outside school. They get to know the parents and children, they greet them at the gates and they talk fairly to parents about their parking.

"They have really helped promote Walk to School Week and they come into assemblies and come to our performances, so the children really get to know them."

Mrs Crouch said the Raymund Road school now faced the return of a parking problem which had been successfully dealt with by the street wardens.

She said: "It's ridiculous, we now have nobody. We need to have people like street wardens from the community to come in and support us.

"Parking has been an ongoing problem outside the gates and the wardens sorted it out."

Mohammed Altaf-Khan, the Headington Hill and Northway councillor, said he was annoyed at the decision and blamed the Labour-led council for making it a political issue.

He said: "I think the wardens were very much part of the community. They were very well recognised and people wanted their service.

"They were seen as council people looking after the estate - there will be more antisocial behaviour problems now they have gone."

Saj Malik, the council's city executive board member, said: "The 2008-09 budget was a challenging one, due to the depth of savings which needed to be made.

"The decision was taken to reduce street wardens in Northway and Marston as it was the area that did not have the greatest need.

"We are working closely with Thames Valley Police to ensure that there will be a greater presence of PSCOs in the area, whom we part-fund.

"In the coming year, we will monitor the situation and would consider the redeployment of street wardens if there is a need."

Street wardens have been employed by Oxford City Council since 2002 to work in Rose Hill, Littlemore, Northfield Brook, Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys, Lye Valley, Wood Farm, Marston, Barton and Sandhills.

They work six days a week.

They have no powers of arrest but can fine people for littering and not clearing up after their dogs.

Wardens liaise with police and the council's crime and nuisance action team (CANAcT), housing, city works and environmental health workers to report fly tipping, graffiti, litter and abandoned and untaxed vehicles.

They also help with the safe collection and disposal of drug-taking paraphernalia.

In schools, they assist with cycling proficiency, attend play schemes and assemblies, and aim to resolve parking issues.