Renewed efforts to control the spread of weeds on Oxford's ancient Port Meadow could be paid for by the Government.

Oxford City Council and the Freemen of Oxford are hoping to get the internationally important wildlife site included in the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme.

Annual payments are made to farmers and landowners to help safeguard areas of countryside where the landscape, wildlife or history is of national imp- ortance.

By joining the scheme, the council and Freemen could get more than £7,000 a year to help improve the historic meadow.

Both the city council, as landowners, and the Freemen, who own the grazing rights, have agreed that control of weeds, particularly creeping thistle, should be a priority.

Following research commissioned by the council, it is proposed to increase the level of grass mowing on the meadow to two cuts a year.

The change should help control the thistle, which affects about 250 acres of the site and inhibits the growth of other plants.

Rebecca Carley, the council's north area co-ordinator, said that funding from the ESA scheme could help pay for the increased cost of grass cutting.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jean Fooks said she welcomed moves to tackle the long-standing problem.

Wolvercote councillor John Goddard requested that the effectiveness of the new mowing regime was evaluated after a year.

Last year saw the return of the Sheriff's Round-up, where cattle and horses being grazed illegally are impounded until their owners pay a fine.

Floods and foot-and-mouth disease have prevented the council from carrying out the annual inspection for the last three years.