Boat owners illegally moored in Oxford are celebrating after city councillors ruled they should be allowed to stay.

Earlier this year five narrowboat owners moored on the River Thames, off Walton Well Road, Jericho, were issued with eviction notices by council planning officers.

The boat owners also look after common land, known as Walton Well Road allotments, but council officers claimed they had no right of access to their boats across the land.

At a special meeting two months ago, 38 councillors voted in favour of letting them stay and on Monday, at the executive board meeting, city councillors backed that decision.

John Keyes, 49, a carpenter, said he and fellow residents -- some of whom have lived at the site for eight years -- were delighted and relieved.

He added: "We have been invited to apply for retro- spective planning permission for residential mooring status and I think that is the right decision.

"Moorings are scarce and we understand the council's concerns about setting a precedent but we do not think boat owners are going to come to Oxford from all over the country to claim mooring rights as a result.

"We are grateful to the city council for being so understanding. This site does comply with all the requirements of the Local Plan for additional moorings."

Mr Keyes, who lives on a boat with his girlfriend Lowri, works as a carpenter at the Castle Mill boatyard in Jericho.

The yard is also under threat of eviction, this time from British Waterways.

Sushila Dahl, Green city councillor for Carfax, told the meeting that the boaters were prepared to pay proper mooring fees and should be allowed to stay.

Ed Turner, executive member for environment, added: "This site is unusual but we should not go down this route all the time because there are enormous waiting lists for moorings in Oxford."

Board members agreed that the boat owners should be granted a licence to occupy the land and moor their boats.

Council officers are now checking that there is a safe access route from the road to the boats and appropriate sanitary facilities.

The licence will be granted once planning permission for permanent moorings is granted.

Boat owners are expected to apply for retrospective planning permission within the next two months.

Housing developments are planned at the nearby Lucy's Ironworks site and on the site of the Castle Mill boatyard.