PREPARATION work for the new Westgate Shopping Centre development in the heart of Oxford got under way yesterday as a demolition team tore down a disused pub.

The Duke of York, in Oxpens Road, was razed to the ground to clear land earmarked for the planned £330m shopping complex, which is set to have a John Lewis department store as its flagship shop.

However, the Westgate Partnership, which is behind the scheme, last night said there were still questions marks over when work to build the new centre would start.

The work was put on hold last summer, due to the state of the economy and no start date has been set for the builders.

As a 21-tonne digger pulled down the former pub yesterday afternoon, site manager James McKeown said the next stage of the three-month project would be to demolish Oxford & Cherwell Valley College’s Evenlode Building next door.

He said: “We have waited until Easter when the students are away.

“We will be stripping the asbestos from one part of the building. We hope to have the air clearance for that on Thursday and we hope to begin demolition of that part of the site next week.”

Westgate Partnership spokesman Nadia Hart said: “The demolition of Evenlode College and the Duke of York public house have started.

“The Westgate Partnership continues to progress the land assembly and ensure that the site is safe for future development.”

Plans for the new shopping centre include the replacement of the Westgate’s existing multi-storey car park and the demolition of a number of nearby flats, but Mr McKeown said his company’s 14-week contract only covered knocking down the pub and college building.

Shopper Dale Stimpson, 60, who was parking his car at the existing multi-storey, said: “I had no idea they were starting any work. I thought the plans were dead in the water.

“Hopefully anything that goes in its place will be better looking than the current car park.”

Fellow shopper Andrew Wyatt, 26, said: “I’m glad they’ve finally done something with the pub.

“I guess it’s a shame the building couldn’t be used for something, but it has been empty for ages.

“I’ll be interested to see what takes its place.”