Motorists and shoppers in Oxford were divided over suggestions that congestion charges for the privilege of driving into the city were "almost inevitable".

As thousands of shoppers poured into the city centre on Saturday -- on one of the busiest shopping days of the year -- the Oxford Mail sought their views on a London-style toll for motorists.

The survey followed our front-page report on Saturday that Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce president Keith Slater felt it was only a matter of time before charges were introduced.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell said there were no plans for a toll, and Mr Slater said the chamber's members opposed charging, despite his own view that there was some merit in the idea.

While some shoppers agreed with Mr Slater, the majority we spoke to were against any charge.

Alan Lester, 59, former chairman of Oxford Covered Market Tenants' Association, who uses the bus to get into the city from his Abingdon home, said: "It's all very well introducing a charge, but in London they're already talking about raising it from £5 to £8.

"I'm sure it's inevitable that it will come to Oxford, but I'm afraid if I had to bring my car in, say to pick up something from a store, I would probably choose to go somewhere else."

Mother-of-two Sarah Soames, 33, who had driven in with husband Justin, and son Joshua, four, from Didcot, said: "I rarely come into Oxford and usually go to Reading instead, because it's more convenient and has better shops.

"I think a congestion charge during the week, or at certain times, would be good to try to avoid the rush-hour jams, but not at the weekends. Justin goes into London a lot to work and says the system there works well."

Secretary Patricia Pointin, 44, of Abingdon, said: "I don't come into Oxford that much, but I don't think they should introduce a charge. It would kill the shops and that's why I come here."

Ian Wilson, 23, a student at Manchester University, who had come into Oxford by train from his home in Didcot, said: "I avoid driving into Oxford like the plague, because it's such a nightmare. I think it's got worse since the Oxford Transport System was introduced and Cornmarket Street was pedestrianised.

"In Manchester, they've introduced a similar system, but have got the best public transport so it encourages people out of their cars anyway."

Natasha Irvin, 17, who passed her driving test two weeks ago and helps to run a card stall in St Ebbe's Street, said: "In terms of cutting traffic, it would help, but I think they would need to think carefully about it as it would have a bad impact on trade."

Secretary Alison Taylor, 33, who does not drive and uses the bus from her home in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, said: "I know I don't drive, but the buses still get stuck in traffic. We come up High Street and get stuck because there's cars there that shouldn't be because they're banned from it in the day."