Homes and gardens in an Oxfordshire village may collapse unless the Government bans a quarry from digging deeper into the ground, according to the county council.

But mineral experts working on behalf of Land Recovery, which owns the quarry in Woodeaton, near Kidlington, dismissed the claim as "pathetic".

Oxfordshire County Council investigated after residents complained constant digging was "shaking the foundations" of their homes and noise levels from transport vehicles were unacceptably high.

Resident Philip Vincent, whose garden backs on to the quarry, claimed the company was planning to dig up to 300ft down, putting homes at risk of crumbling.

He and 15 residents met Henley MP Boris Johnson at the quarry on May 9.

County council minerals officer John Duncalfe said homes could be under threat and he wanted digging to stop at 60ft, but admitted the council was powerless to intervene.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has called the matter in for a public inquiry, scheduled for September.

Land Recovery said it was operating within Government guidelines.

It accused the council of failing to support a scheme which would have allowed the quarry to be turned into an environmental site, protecting it from further digging. But Mr Vincent, 66, said: "The truth is that they only started putting measures in place last month to stop the noise and they haven't worked. No-one can sell their houses."

Speaking on behalf of Land Recovery, specialist mineral planning consultant Martin Millmore, said: "The company has bent over backwards in every possible way to work with residents and the county council, but has had it thrown back in its face.

"I'm 100 per cent confident that there is nothing wrong with this site. The council's claims are pathetic.

"The company's not breaking any rules and will continue to dig."