A children's play area has been closed after a dispute between an Oxford college and Oxford City Council.

The play area in the Angel and Greyhound Meadow in St Clement's looks to have become a victim of an impasse in negotiations between the council and Magdalen over a lease.

The dispute could also hit public access to the popular meadow that has been leased to the city as a recreational area for many years.

Magdalen College says it has decided to shut a popular play area in the meadow after the council failed to renew a lease. Magdalen says the decision was taken because it needs costly work to make it safe.

Families arriving over the half-term break to play on the swings and slide found the play area locked up, with a notice claiming that it was unsafe.

But the city council questioned the decision, insisting that the play area had been recently inspected and found to pose no danger to youngsters.

Magdalen's actions will come as a major embarrassment to the council's ruling Labour group, which listed the improvement of the city's play areas as one of its top priorities on coming to power.

Work is shortly to begin to renovate 55 of Oxford's most run-down play parks in a £2.5m project.

But Magdalen College says it has had no alternative.

Senior bursar Charles Young said: "The council has told the college that in future it will only contribute at a much reduced rate to the costs of managing the meadow and is unwilling to undertake any maintenance of the meadow.

"The college is reviewing the consequences of this with its advisers, including insurers, with particular reference to the implications for public safety."

The council lease on the college-owned meadow expired on September 28.

Negotiations are continuing to keep the meadow open to the public.

But it now looks likely that public access to the meadow will ultimately be restricted.