A driver has criticised an Oxford shopping centre after her 4X4 hit a car park barrier that had been reduced in height without warning.

Marie Braham and her children Managers at Templars Square, Cowley, apologised and have now raised the height of the barrier at the entrance to the centre's Castle Car Park.

Marie Braham, of Holton, near Wheatley, was with her four children when the barrier scraped across the roof bars of her Land Rover Discovery.

Mrs Braham, who is a regular visitor to the centre, said she had no idea that the barrier, which rises to let vehicles into the car park, had been lowered from 2.2m to 1.9m.

Templars Square manager Wendy White said vandals had smashed the normal barrier, which had been replaced with a lower one pending the arrival of new parts. Mrs Braham said: "It came totally out of the blue. When I complained I was told there was a sign displaying the height above the barrier, but it was too late then. There should have been signs leading to the car park. I shop at the centre three times a week and as far as I'm concerned this was done without warning."

Ms White said the centre had now put the barrier back up to its normal height. She said: "We acted immediately after Mrs Braham's complaints.

"We would not have had this problem if it wasn't for the vandals."