Cancer patients have been reassured their treatment will continue as normal in Oxford despite a delay in the opening of a new £109m cancer centre.

The Oxford Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital, in Headington, was due to open before the end of the year.

But the opening date has now been put back to January so essential tests on the building can be completed.

The centre will provide more than 200 beds and 10 operating theatres.

In September, the trust confirmed a wrangle with the Open Spaces Society about two footpaths running across the site, had contributed to delays.

But Helen Peggs, a spokesman for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "This delay has got absolutely nothing to do with the pathways.

"Tests on the building and facilities need to be completed. It's disappointing for staff, but hopefully the centre will be open by the end of January."

Vickie Holcroft, director of relocation at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, said: "Staff have been working extremely hard preparing for the move, which we had hoped to start within the next few weeks.

"This is not now possible as a number of essential tests of the internal systems and highly specialised clinical equipment have not yet been completed.

"We can reassure our patients that they will continue to be seen and treated exactly as at present, until the centre opens in the New Year."